PLEURAL AND PERICARDIAL-EFFUSION AFTER PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION AS FIRST MANIFESTATION OF MALIGNANT-TUMORS

We report 2 cases with unusual ''complications'' after pacemaker impla ntation. One patient developed hemorrhagic pleural and 1 patient peric ardial effusion. Both manifestations of hemorrhage were felt to be due to complications in relation to the pacemaker implantation. However, in both patients cytologic analysis of the effusion revealed malignant cells, in 1 case from an ovarian cell carcinoma, in the other case fr om an adenocarcinoma of unknown origin. Our report indicates, that und er rare circumstances pleural or pericardial effusion after pacemaker implantation may be the first manifestation of a malignant process ind ependent of the pacemaker implantation procedure.