Although radiofrequency ablation for lung cancer is generally safe (with a mortality rate <1%), it may cause various complications. Common complications include pneumothorax, pleural effusion, and parenchymal hemorrhage. Although most complications can be treated conservatively or with minimal therapy, physicians should be aware of rare but serious complications. Potentially fatal complications include massive hemorrhage, intractable pneumothorax due to bronchopleural fistula, pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm, systemic air embolism, and pneumonitis. Other serious complications include injury to the nearby tissues (e.g., brachial nerve plexus, phrenic nerve, diaphragm, and chest wall), needle tract seeding, lung abscess, empyema, and skin burn. Although cavitation of the ablation zone is usually insignificant clinically, such a cavity occasionally ruptures, leading to pneumothorax and bleeding. Cavities may also serve as a scaffold for fungal colonization. Precautions to minimize risk should be taken whenever possible. Nevertheless, serious complications may occur, and thus physicians should be aware of the appropriate treatments for these complications. This article reviews complications associated with lung cancer ablation.

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CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsy of anterior mediastinal masses was safe and had a high diagnostic yield; however, using a thinner biopsy needle significantly increased the risk of a failed diagnosis.

The diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related disease were previously published and serum IgG4 measurement has been reimbursed by national health insurance in Japan since 2012. Eight patients diagnosed with IgG4-related disease based on lacrimal gland masses were retrospectively reviewed. The 8 patients were 3 men and 5 women ranging in age from 52 to 77 (median, 63) years at the initial visit and their follow-up period ranged from 0.25 to 11 (median, 7) years. Bilateral and unilateral involvement were noted in 4 patients each; 2 on the right side and 2 on the left side in those with unilateral involvement. Serum IgG4 was high in 5 of 8 patients at the initial visit. Five patients with no systemic signs were followed without treatment, whereas oral steroids were administered and tapered in the other 3 patients who exhibited systemic signs. One patient with a history of radiation for MALT lymphoma in bilateral lacrimal glands developed IgG4-related disease in the left lacrimal gland 10 years later and was followed without treatment. Nine years later, her serum IgG4 level increased to 1500 mg/dL and paracardiac lesions, found on positron emission tomography, were confirmed to be MALT lymphoma by needle biopsy, leading to systemic chemotherapy. The other 7 patients had neither local recurrence nor additional systemic signs. Serum IgG4 monitoring may be useful to detect systemic complications in IgG4-related ophthalmic disease and markedly high serum IgG4 levels may indicate new lymphoma at other sites.

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