The flow-directed balloon-tipped (Swan-Ganz) catheter for measurement of pulmonary capillary wedge pressures has been widely used for hemodynamic investigations of severely ill patients because of the simplicity of introduction and infrequent complications. The major morbidity associated with its use is pulmonary infarction resulting from persistent wedging of the catheter tip in a peripheral artery, failure to deflate the balloon after use, and thromboembolism around the catheter. The radiograph of the pulmonary infarction is usually classical in appearance and resolves in 2-3 weeks. We encountered two cases of pulmonary complications directly related to the use of Swan-Ganz catheters which progressed from infarction to cavitary lesions. We believe no such cases have yet been reported.
