late development of a bronchocutaneous fistula due to an epicardial cardioverter-defibrillator lead

cutaneous complications caused by a pacemaker or defibrillator are widely documented, but the development of a bronchocutaneous fistula has never been described before. we report the case of a 79-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital because of a seemingly superficial cutaneous infection, externalized defibrillator leads, and hemoptysis. bronchoscopical investigation proved the existence of the fistula, which connected the epicardium, the left main bronchus, and the aforementioned site of skin infection. the patient refused an operation for the complete removal of the epicardial defibrillator and was treated conservatively. this case demonstrated that the long-term presence of foreign bodies in the epicardium may cause serious complications