Background: Malignant proliferation at the site of implantation of a pacemaker generator is uncommon. We report the case of a patient who developed rhabdomyosarcoma.
Case report: A 85-year-old man presented with a voluminous and rapidly evolving tumor localised beneath the right clavicle. This inflammatory and necrotic lesion developed on the area where a titanium pacemaker had been implanted five years earlier. Rhabdomyosarcoma was diagnosis on the basis of immunohistochemistry findings. In spite of a wide surgical excision of this primitive tumour, visceral dissemination appeared, rapidly leading to the patient's death.
Discussion: This observation rises the question of the role of the pacemaker implantation in tumor development. The excellent in vivo tolerance and the widespread utilization of titanium as biomaterial is an argument against its carcinogenic action. Inversely, a metal-related chronic inflammatory reaction could favor the neoplastic process in predisposed subjects as has been observed with prosthetic materials used in orthopaedics.