A Unique Complication of Pigtail Pleural Catheter Placement.

Pigtail pleural catheters are becoming more popular because they are a less painful and equally efficacious alternative to the traditional large-bore thoracostomy tube. This report describes the case of a 48-year-old male whose deteriorating condition required the placement of a pigtail pleural catheter for treatment of parapneumonic pleural effusion. He later developed significant complications related to the procedure.