Pacemaker failure resulting from radiation damage.
The authors present a case of radiation-induced pacemaker failure. After 2,000 rad (20 Gy) of photon irradiation for metastatic bronchogenic carcinoma, the pulse generator circuitry failed, producing a "runaway" rhythm. This suggests that present pacemaker circuitry may be more susceptible to irradiation than previously believed, and that even modest radiation doses can induce life-threatening arrhythmias.
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000532:radiotherapy; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004581:Electronics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing