title: Accidental cerebral venous gas embolism in a young patient with congenital heart disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hospital de Pediatría Prof Dr J. P. Garrahan, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Celeste
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Buompadre
authors.forename: Hugo Antonio
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Arroyo
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents