Accidental cerebral venous gas embolism in a young patient with congenital heart disease.
This article describes an 11-year-old girl with a diagnosis of Ebstein's anomaly. Glenn and Fontan surgeries were performed successfully. She had a generalized tonic-clonic seizure after peripheral intravenous infusion under pressure. A computed tomography brain scan performed 30 minutes later showed multiple serpiginous hypodensities in the cortical sulci and in the superior longitudinal sinus compatible with cerebral venous gas embolism. At follow-up 1 month later, the girl had severe motor impairment. Cerebral gas embolism should be considered in a patient with risk factors and acute neurological symptoms in order to select the treatment of choice, hyperbaric oxygen, and reduce damage to brain tissues.
Buompadre
María Celeste
MC
Department of Neurology, Hospital de Pediatría Prof Dr J. P. Garrahan, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Arroyo
Hugo Antonio
HA
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D015984:Causality; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004437:Ebstein Anomaly / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000592:standards; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy; D013995:Time; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents