Spinal cord infarction following central-line insertion.

Hemothorax is a recognized complication of central line insertion into the jugular or subclavian vein. We describe a case of hemothorax consequent upon acute dialysis catheter insertion, which resulted in spinal cord infarction and quadriplegia. We postulate that the extensive mediastinal shift induced after insertion of the catheter resulted in stretching of the veins draining the cord with a resultant drop in perfusion pressure and infarction. This case highlights a hitherto unreported complication of this procedure.