ICD-Electrode-Perforation of the Right Ventricle to the Pericardium with and without Pericardial Effusion

Two cases are described of iatrogenic traumatic perforation of an ICD electrode through the myocardium in the right ventricle and to the pericardium. The diagnostic gold standard gated CT was not necessary in either case. In the first case the lead insertion was difficult, time-consuming, and complicated by the PostCardiac Injury Syndrome and a slowly accumulating hemorrhagic pericardial effusion causing cardiac tamponade, diagnosed by the clinical picture, elevated CRP, ECG with low voltage and electrical alternans, chest X-ray revealing enlarged cardiac silhouette and echocardiography a large effusion, treated with pericardiocentesis and drainage. In the other case there was painful pericardial irritation and extracardiac pacing and ICD failure with loss of capture, no diagnostic changes in ECG, chest X-ray, and echocardiography; diagnosed by fluoroscopy during replacement at the lead, which went without complications and without pericardial effusion.