Cardiac arrhythmia caused by a Kirschner wire inside the heart. An unusual complication of finger osteosynthesis.
A 45-year-old woman with no previous history of cardiac disease woke up one morning with an irregular heartbeat and fatigue. An electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation and plain chest radiographs revealed the presence of a metallic pin at the position of the heart. A 24 mm-long metallic pin was removed by open thoracic surgery from within the right ventricle of the heart. Postoperative examination of the pin showed it to be one of the 0.8 mm Kirschner wires that had been used for finger osteosynthesis in her left hand 31 months previously.
Haapaniemi
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TA
Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden.
Hermansson
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D001864:Bone Wires; D005260:Female; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*