Key result
RFCA for AF linked to complete pulmonary vein thrombosis and secondary lung infarction.
Case Report (n=1)
No
Post-ablation respiratory symptoms such as hemoptysis require systematic radiological evaluation of the pulmonary veins with adequate contrast enhancement to rule out pulmonary vein thrombosis.
Pulmonary vein thrombosis after AF ablation may cause infarction; this case report leaves open true incidence and optimal surveillance.
Radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is a common procedure, but it can be complicated by pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT), a rare and underdiagnosed entity.We report the case of a 39-year-old female presenting with hemoptysis on day four post-ablation.The initial chest computed tomography angiography was interpreted as isolated alveolar hemorrhage, but the follow-up examination at day 31 revealed complete left inferior PVT associated with a secondary pulmonary infarction.Given the nonspecific clinical presentation of post-ablation respiratory symptoms, systematic radiological evaluation of the pulmonary veins with adequate vascular contrast enhancement is essential to rule out PVT, a rare yet potentially grave complication, and prevent catastrophic systemic thromboembolic events or irreversible parenchymal damage.
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M'bie et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Atrial fibrillation (n=1). Radiofrequency catheter ablation was evaluated on Development of pulmonary vein thrombosis and secondary lung infarction. A 39-year-old female developed complete thrombosis of the left inferior pulmonary vein and secondary pulmonary infarction following radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
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