Unusual complication of a migrant pacemaker lead

Abstract

We describe the case of a 74-year-old male with a history of rheumatic valvular heart disease and previous aortic and mitral valve replacements. A single-chamber pacemaker was implanted in 1994. Four years later, the electrode was found to be malfunctioning. A new right ventricular electrode was implanted and the original electrode was capped. Routine follow-up in 2008 showed that the capture threshold had increased. Further investigations showed that the original electrode had fractured into three segments. One of the fragments had migrated into the left pulmonary artery. A year later the patient had not suffered from any complications although the fragment had migrated further in to the lung. …