Paraplegia as the First Manifestation of Cardiac Tamponade in a Patientafter Stent Graft Implantation with Temporary Endocavitary Stimulation

The aim of this paper is to present an unusual spectrum of symptoms observed in a patient subjected to implantation of a stent graft to the site of the thoracic-abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient developed paraplegia which did not result from the spinal cord ischemia but eventually turned out to be a consequence of cardiac tamponade caused by atrial perforation with an endocavitary electrode. A multidisciplinary approach to the hereby reported case prevented severe, potentially fatal complications.