Abstract
BackgroundPost-cardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is an inflammatory condition following myocardial or pericardial damage. In response to catheter ablation, PCIS most frequently occurs after extensive radiofrequency (RF) ablation of large areas of atrial myocardium. Minor myocardial injury from right septal slow pathway ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is not an established cause of the syndrome.Case presentationA 62-year-old women with a 6-year history of symptomatic narrow-complex tachycardia was referred to perform an electrophysiological study. During the procedure AVNRT was recorded and a total of two RF burns were applied to the region between the coronary sinus and the tricuspid annulus. Pericardial effusion was routinely ruled out by focused cardiac ultrasound. In the following days, the patient developed fever, elevated inflammatory and cardiac markers, new-onset pericardial effusion, characteristic ECG changes, and complained of pleuritic chest pain. An extensive workup for infectious, metabolic, rheumatologic, neoplastic, and toxic causes of pericarditis and myocarditis was unremarkable. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed no signs of ischemia, infiltrative disease or structural abnormalities. The patient was diagnosed with PCIS and initiated on aspirin and low-dose colchicine. At a 1-month follow-up visit the patient was free of symptoms but still had a small pericardial effusion. After three months of treatment the pericardial effusion had resolved completely.ConclusionsInflammatory pericardial reactions can occur after minor myocardial damage from RF ablation without involvement of structures in close proximity to the pericardium.
Highlights
BackgroundPost-cardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is an inflammatory reaction to myo-pericardial damage and constitutes a rare but important complication of radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation [1, 2]
Post-cardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is an inflammatory condition following myocardial or pericardial damage
Inflammatory pericardial reactions can occur after minor myocardial damage from RF ablation without involvement of structures in close proximity to the pericardium
Summary
Post-cardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is an inflammatory reaction to myo-pericardial damage and constitutes a rare but important complication of radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation [1, 2]. The patient was asymptomatic and her routine clinical assessment and physical examination were unremarkable. During her electrophysiology study, sustained typical AVNRT was induced and RF ablation was performed with a non-irrigated Navistar ablation catheter (Biosense Webster) using three-dimensional electroanatomic guidance. A second burn (35 W, 11 Ohm impedance drop during 60 s) resulted in successful slow pathway ablation (Fig. 1). According to current clinical practice guidelines [1] a diagnosis of post-cardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) was made and the patient was started on aspirin and low-dose colchicine. The patient still showed a small pericardial effusion and was continued on aspirin and colchicine. At a 3-month follow-up, the patient was doing well and the pericardial effusion had resolved completely
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