A RARE CASE OF LATE ONSET OF INFECTION FOR PERMANENT PACEMAKER

Abstract

A 71-year-old man who had undergone implantation of a transvenous pacemaker system for complete heart block became aware of increasing swelling of the generator pocket of his anterior chest eight years after exchange of the generator. As infection was suspected, and the remaining life of his battery was less than one year, he was admitted to Showa University Hospital for operation. There was no operative finding of acute inflammation around the generator pocket, except for remarkable thickness of connective tissue. However some exudate and yellowish gel-like substance found in the pocket contained the attenuated bacteria of Staphylococcus epidermidis. The patient is now doing well with no local recurrence of infection for 15 months after the operation. It is rare for infection to appear a few years after the last surgical pacemaker procedure, but pacemaker patients should be followed-up for a longtime against the possible occurrence of complications, including infection.