Lick S D, Conti V R
Department of Surgery, the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-0528, USA.
Chest. 1997 Oct;112(4):1144-6. doi: 10.1378/chest.112.4.1144.
Erosion of an automatic internal cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) patch into the lingular bronchus occurred 4 years after implantation; the erosion presented as a cavitary mass associated with hemoptysis and weight loss. On bronchoscopy to evaluate for suspected carcinoma, a cavity was entered through a bronchial defect and the AICD patch clearly identified. The complication was successfully treated with patch removal and fistula closure.