The present article describes two cases of bronchopleural fistula (BPF) occurring after radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors.
Both procedures were carried out using expandable multitined electrodes, with no coagulation of the needle track. After both
ablations, ground-glass opacities encompassed the nodules and abutted the visceral pleura. The first patient had a delayed
pneumothorax, and the second had a recurrent pneumothorax. Both cases of BPF were diagnosed on follow-up computed tomography
chest scans (i.e., visibility of a distinct channel between the lung or a peripheral bronchus and the pleura) and were successfully
treated with chest tubes alone. Our goal is to highlight the fact that BPF can occur without needle-track coagulation and
to suggest that minimally invasive treatment is sufficient to cure BPFs of this specific origin.
Keywords Lung tumors – Radiofrequency ablation – Bronchopleural fistula – Delayed pneumothorax – Recurrent pneumothorax – Chest tube – Complications