title: Fat embolism syndrome in a patient demonstrating only neurologic symptoms.
abstract: Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a recognized complication of both long bone fractures and intramedullary orthopedic procedures. The usual presenting features are respiratory failure, neurologic dysfunction and petechiae. In this report, a 25-year-old woman with FES presented with serious neurologic symptoms and signs in the absence of respiratory dysfunction. The diagnosis is essentially a clinical one, but nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed distinctive lesions that may help future diagnosis of FES.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Kingston General Hospital, Ont.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bardana
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rudan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cervenko
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003128:Coma; D004620:Embolism, Fat / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013577:Syndrome