What is the most likely diagnosis?
- 64 year-old male with new onset of bradycardia
Chest radiographs (reversed) done 6 months apart
- Pericardial tamponade
- Fractured lead
- Lead migration
- Battery failure
- Twiddler's syndrome
Additional Images - CT scan of chest
Additional Images
CT scan of lower chest (window optimized for finding)
Answer:
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3. Lead migration (perforation)
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More (Click Discussion Tab)
Pacemaker Lead Perforation
General Considerations
- Perforation can occur during placement (more frequent) or delayed (up to 5 years after implantation)
- Cardiac tissue has a "self-sealing" capacity
- Incidence of around 1% for pacemakers and 1-5% for cardiac defibrillators
- Probably more common than originally thought
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