A Rare Complication of Cardiac Ablation: Atrial-esophageal Fistula Presenting as Odynophagia

Radiofrequency catheter ablation has been commonly used for the treatment of drug-refractory atrial fibrillation. The esophageal injury along with the development of atrial-esophageal fistula (AE fistula) is fairly rare but is a devastating complication of catheter ablation. Described in 2004 for th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCurēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 12; no. 2; p. e6871
Main Authors Khan, Muzammil, Rashid, Mamoon Ur, Zafar, Hammad, Ullah, Waqas, Khan, Abu H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Cureus Inc 04.02.2020
Cureus
Subjects
Ablation
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiology
Case reports
Catheters
Esophagus
Fistula
Gastroenterology
Gastroesophageal reflux
Internal Medicine
Ischemia
Mortality
Ostomy
Patients
Sepsis
Surgery
Veins & arteries
atrial esophageal fistula
atrial fibrillation
cardiac ablation
chest pain
odynophagia
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Summary:Radiofrequency catheter ablation has been commonly used for the treatment of drug-refractory atrial fibrillation. The esophageal injury along with the development of atrial-esophageal fistula (AE fistula) is fairly rare but is a devastating complication of catheter ablation. Described in 2004 for the first time, it is the most lethal of all the complications of catheter ablation with a high mortality rate. The clinical presentation of an AE fistula is variable, however, early diagnosis and treatment can prevent a fatality. We have reported a case of an AE fistula post catheter ablation for drug-resistant atrial fibrillation, along with its treatment, diagnosis, and possible preventive measures.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.6871