Brachial plexopathy complicating central venous catheter insertion.

After insertion of a central venous catheter by the infraclavicular approach to the subclavian vein, a patient had clinical and electrophysiological evidence of injury to the lower cord of the brachial plexus. Therefore, brachial plexopathy joins the other known forms of local vascular and neurological injury which can complicate this procedure. The apparent rarity of brachial plexus injury may either be due to the anatomical distance between the plexus and the point of catheter insertion or the subtle neurological deficit may escape detection.