Pulmonary Vein Stenosis after Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: clinical presentation as a Lung cancer. Case report

Abstract

Pulmonary vein stenosis is an infrequent complication of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. Its incidence varies widely from 0.3% to 6% according to different publications.  The clinical presentation raises suspicion of more common pathologies. We present a case of pulmonary vein stenosis following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation that resembled -clinically and on radiology- a lung neoplasm.

We report a case of a 57-years-old male current smoker who developed pulmonary vein stenosis following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. The clinical (cough and hemoptysis), radiological (Positron-Emission Tomography positive pulmonary nodules) and bronchoscopy (edematous mucosa) were consistent with a lung neoplasm.

Although previous cases of pulmonary vein stenosis resembling lung cancer have been published, we are unaware of previous description of pulmonary vein stenosis as cause of Positron-Emission Tomography positive pulmonary nodules. The case highlights the importance of considering pulmonary vein stenosis as a cause of cough, dyspnea and hemoptysis in patient with previous catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in order to prevent unnecessary -often invasive- studies.