Incidence and clinical characteristics of postcardiac injury syndrome complicating cardiac perforation caused by radiofrequency catheter ablation for cardiac arrhythmias.

BACKGROUND: Postcardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is a complication of a variety of cardiac injuries, of which small heart perforation is the etiology that is often unrecognized. We reported a series of patients with PCIS secondary to cardiac perforation during catheter ablation procedures.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Out of 1728 radiofrequency catheter ablation procedures, 21 patients (1.2%) were complicated by echo-defined cardiac perforation not requiring surgical intervention. Among them, 6 patients (6/21, 28.6%) were diagnosed with PCIS secondary to cardiac perforation because they also developed pleural effusions (6/6, 100%) and fever (4/6, 66.7%) in addition to pericardial effusion/tamponade. Four patients with PCIS (4/6, 66.7%) and four patients without PCIS (4/15, 26.7%) underwent pericardial drainage but the drainage volume during the first 24 h was not significantly different (441.3±343.9 mL vs. 182.5±151.3 mL, P=0.248). In the 6 PCIS patients, pleural effusion was detected from 3 h to 4 days (median: 2 days) after ablation procedure, predominantly bilateral (66.7%) or left-sided if unilateral. Patients with PCIS were older (64.8±7.3 years vs. 45.9±14.8 years, P=0.0078), were more likely accompanied by hypertension (66.7% vs. 6.7%, P=0.0114) and had a prolonged hospital stay (34.2±15.8 days).

CONCLUSIONS: More than 25% of patients with small cardiac perforation during catheter ablation may develop PCIS which can be masked by pericardial effusion/tamponade. This kind of PCIS is more likely associated with elder or hypertensive patients and is usually characterized by early onset of pleural effusion.