Chronic cor pulmonale: a rare complication of undiagnosed pacemaker lead endocarditis.
Pacemaker lead infection is a rare life-threatening complication of permanent transvenous pacing. We describe the case of a young man who suffered recurrent undiagnosed septic pulmonary embolisms from pacemaker lead vegetations inducing chronic cor pulmonale with major pulmonary arterial hypertension. The potential complications of transvenous pacing and the systematic use of transesophageal echocardiography are emphasized.
Mansencal
Nicolas
N
Lavergne
Thomas
T
Bordachar
Pierre
P
Abergel
Eric
E
Le Heuzey
Jean-Yves
JY
Hidden
Françoise
F
Guize
Louis
L
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted / Q000009:adverse effects; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011660:Pulmonary Heart Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis