title: Intracoronary air embolism in open heart surgery--an uncommon source of myocardial ischaemia.
abstract: We report a case of air embolism detected by transesophageal echocardiography in a patient undergoing open heart surgery for acute mitral regurgitation. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography revealed an increased brightness of the apical wall and a severely compromised left ventricular myocardium with severe diffuse hypokinesis after removal of the aortic cross clamps and spontaneous resolution in the control echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, General Hospital Wels, Austria.
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lamm
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Auer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Punzengruber
authors.forename: Choi-Keung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eber
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000150:complications; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007423:Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy