Massive cerebral arterial air embolism following arterial catheterization.
Microscopic cerebral arterial air embolism (CAAE) has been described in many patients undergoing cardiac surgery as well as other invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. However, massive CAAE is rare. We report a 42-year-old woman who initially presented with thalamic and basal ganglia hemorrhages. Shortly after a radial arterial catheter was inserted, the patient suffered a generalized seizure and CT demonstrated intra-arterial air in bilateral cerebral hemispheres.
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Department of Radiology, Northwestem University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. cfung@alum.mit.edu
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D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D017534:Radial Artery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed