Ascites due to pacemaker syndrome.
We describe a 65-year-old man who had had a permanent cardiac pacemaker implanted in 1994 and presented now with ascites. He was investigated for 3 months without finding any cause. He was admitted with a colonic bleed due to a polyp; on cardiac evaluation he was found to have pacemaker syndrome. After adjusting the pacemaker settings his ascites and pleural effusion (which had developed later) disappeared.
Chandan
Kiran
K
Division of Gastroenterology, P D Hinduja National Hospital, Veer Savarkar Marg, Mumbai.
Chawla
Mukesh
M
Desai
Devendra
D
Ponde
Chandrashekar
C
D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology