Bilateral pleural and pericardial effusions because of mediastinal placement of a central venous catheter.

Pneumothorax, hydrothorax, hydromediastinum, and cardiac tamponade are uncommon, although not unusual, complications of central venous catheter placement. We report a case of hydromediastinum with bilateral pleural and pericardial effusions, occurring in a patient after placement of a Silastic double-lumen central venous catheter for hyperalimentation.