Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026
16:40
A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
Published on: February 28, 2012
26.9K
Lingular pneumonia obscured by implanted cardioverter-defibrillator: Lateral thinking
Laura Sewell1, Ivan Harries1, Barinathan Chandrasekaran1
1Department of Cardiology, The Great Western Hospital, Swindon, UK.
Radiology Case Reports
|July 12, 2016
Summary
A chest X-ray in a patient with a cardiac device can miss pneumonia. Lateral imaging revealed lung consolidation hidden by the implanted cardioverter-defibrillator, showing its diagnostic value.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Cardiology
Background:
- A 56-year-old female presented with symptoms suggestive of pneumonia.
- The patient had an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
Observation:
- An anteroposterior (AP) chest radiograph initially failed to identify consolidation.
- A subsequent lateral chest radiograph revealed extensive left-lingular-lobe consolidation.
Findings:
- The cardiac device obscured a significant area of pneumonia on the AP view.
- Lateral radiography successfully visualized the consolidation missed on the initial AP view.
Implications:
- Large implanted cardiac devices can obscure underlying pulmonary pathology on standard radiographs.
- Lateral or cross-sectional imaging techniques are crucial for accurate diagnosis in such cases.
- This case underscores the importance of considering device artifact in radiographic interpretation.
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