title: Intractable pneumothorax due to bronchopleural fistula after radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors.
abstract: We describe two cases of intractable pneumothorax that were attributed to a bronchopleural fistula (BPF) after radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors. In both cases, radiofrequency ablation induced necrosis of the lung tissue between the pleural space and the bronchus. The bronchopleural fistula formed after sloughing of the necrotic tissue. Management of the bronchopleural fistula was quite challenging, requiring frequent treatments, including pleurodesis, endobronchial management, and/or surgical repair. In one of the patients, air leakage persisted despite these efforts, and the patient died of acute pneumonia 52 days after the procedure. Although it is rare, with an incidence of 0.6% (2/334) at our institution, intractable pneumothorax due to bronchopleural fistula should be recognized as a risk associated with radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Okayama University Medical School, Okayama, Japan. sakurai@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiraki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gobara
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hase
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Nobuhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tajiri
authors.forename: Motoi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoe
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Date
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis / Q000209:etiology; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology*