Postcardiac injury syndrome following vascular interventional radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Postcardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) occurs following a pericardial or myocardial injury. On the other hand, PCIS following cardiac catheter intervention is rare and can be difficult to diagnose because of its delayed onset. A 24-year-old man underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and suffered from general fatigue and left-sided pleural effusion three months after the procedure. His symptoms and effusion were effectively treated within a month by administrating nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, seven months later, he developed left-sided chest pain and low-grade fever. Computed tomography showed a thickening of the parietal pleura and reccurence of the pleural effusion. Pleural biopsy by video-assisted thoracoscopy demonstrated chronic pleuritis with a non-necrotizing granulomatous reaction. Given the previous RFA, and in the absence of infection or malignant disease, he was diagnosed with PCIS and treated with colchicine.