Recurrent Left Pleural Effusion Following Left Atrial Appendage Closure With the Watchman Device

Rim Halaby; Lohit Garg; Alejandro De Feria; Francis E Marchlinski; Pasquale Santangeli

doi:10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.07.044

Recurrent Left Pleural Effusion Following Left Atrial Appendage Closure With the Watchman Device

JACC Case Rep. 2020 Sep 15;2(11):1789-1792. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.07.044. eCollection 2020 Sep.

Authors

Rim Halaby¹, Lohit Garg¹, Alejandro De Feria¹, Francis E Marchlinski¹, Pasquale Santangeli¹

Affiliation

¹ Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Abstract

A 75-year-old woman with recent left atrial appendage closure with the Watchman device (Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts) presented with recurrent left pleural effusion. The constellation of chest pain, pericardial effusion, and exudative pleural effusion were suggestive of an inflammatory process precipitated by microperforation of the fixation anchors during the Watchman placement. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Keywords: CT, computed tomography; LAA, left atrial appendage; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; Watchman; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; left atrial appendage closure; pericarditis; pleural effusion; post-pericardiotomy syndrome.

Publication types

Case Reports