Complications of automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators: radiographic, CT, and echocardiographic evaluation. Radiology 1989 Feb;170(2):447-52
Date
02/01/1989Pubmed ID
2911667DOI
10.1148/radiology.170.2.2911667Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0024490861 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 48 CitationsAbstract
Automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICDs) were studied in three groups: (a) Serial radiographs were reviewed in 51 clinic patients. Twenty of 96 (21%) AICD patches distorted with time. (b) Thirty-six postoperative computed tomographic (CT) scans of asymptomatic patients revealed that pericardial fluid collections were frequent during the month after surgery but rare beyond that. Echocardiography was insensitive for these collections. CT also demonstrated dense fibrosis around some distorted patches, months after surgery. (c) Five other patients with pericardial infection had distorted patches, and the four studied with CT had fluid beneath their patches. (d) A case of constrictive pericarditis had distorted patches but was not diagnosed with CT. The authors conclude that distorted patches may indicate postoperative complications and that CT is the imaging modality of choice.
Author List
Goodman LR, Almassi GH, Troup PJ, Gurney JW, Veseth-Rogers J, Chapman PD, Wetherbee JNAuthor
G Hossein Almassi MD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Arrhythmias, CardiacEchocardiography
Electric Countershock
Electrodes
Humans
Pericardial Effusion
Postoperative Complications
Prospective Studies
Radiography, Thoracic
Retrospective Studies
Surgical Wound Infection
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
