Metastatic tumor thrombus attached to a pacemaker electrode

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 1998 Nov;21(11 Pt 1):2143-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1998.tb01137.x.

Abstract

We present a patient with a large tumor embolus attached to a pacemaker electrode leading to multiple pulmonary emboli. At postmortem examination, this thrombus was composed of clusters of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma intermingled with fibrin. Tumor involvement was not evident in the myocardium, endocardium, or epicardium. The primary tumor was discovered in the lower intrathoracic esophagus. Tumor microemboli from the esophageal primary lesions may have accumulated around the pacemaker electrode due to turbulent flow in this region, producing a large and friable tumor embolus.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / secondary
  • Electrodes, Implanted*
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Fibrin / analysis
  • Hemorheology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology*
  • Pacemaker, Artificial*
  • Pulmonary Embolism / etiology
  • Pulmonary Embolism / pathology

Substances

  • Fibrin