title: Chronological changes in cerebral air embolism that occurred during continuous drainage of infected lung bullae.
abstract: We present a 43-year-old man with cerebral air embolism that occurred during continuous drainage of infected lung bullae. This complication is extremely rare, and may have been caused by the passage of air into the pulmonary venous circulation through a bronchovenous fistula and/or damaged pulmonary vessels. Air densities were demonstrated along the right frontal gyri on a CT performed 1 h after the onset of embolism, then moved to the deep cortex after 2.5 h. Three days later, a cortical infarct accompanied with extensive white matter edema in the right frontal lobe was confirmed by MRI. These CT and MRI findings may indicate the passage of intravascular air from the superficial to the deep cortex and subsequent cerebral infarction.
authors.affiliation: Cerebrovascular Center, Ebina East General Hospital, Kawaraguchi, Ebina, Japan. shun@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takizawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokuoka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohnuki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinohara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001768:Blister / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology*; D004646:Emphysema / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000628:therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed