Article Text

Download PDFPDF
CASE REPORT
The return of a disappearing entity: Dressler's syndrome after transvenous pacemaker implantation
  1. António Tralhão,
  2. Diogo Cavaco,
  3. Marisa Trabulo,
  4. António M Ferreira
  1. Department of Cardiology, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Carnaxide, Portugal
  1. Correspondence to Dr António Miguel Ferreira, miguelferreira.md{at}sapo.pt

Summary

A 76-year-old woman with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and left bundle branch block was admitted for biventricular pacemaker implantation. The procedure was complicated by perforation of a coronary sinus tributary vein and ensuing pericardial effusion without tamponade. Three months later, she presented with fever, pleuritic chest pain and functional class worsening. Pericardial and pleural effusions were noted. Sterile blood and pleural fluid cultures and failure to respond to antibiotic therapy led to the hypothesis of a Dressler-like syndrome. The patient improved clinically with a short course of steroid therapy and was discharged on colchicine. A chest X-ray performed after 2 months showed a complete remission of pleural effusion.

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.