title: Sudden coma after subclavian catheterization.
abstract: Bilateral thalamic infarction is a very rare affection. We report here a case of bithalamic infarction during subclavian catheterization related to the accidental migration and complete occlusion of an arterial embolism to the Percheron's artery. Percheron's artery is an anatomical variation described in 1977, constituted by a solitary arterial trunk arising from one of the proximal segments of a posterior cerebral artery supplying the paramedian thalami and the rostral midbrain bilaterally. We review here the clinical presentation and discuss the aetiologies of such a cerebral infarction.
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie réanimation, hôpital Cochin, 27, rue du Faubourg-St-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silvera
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghiglione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mignon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacqmin
mesh_terms: D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003128:Coma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013348:Subclavian Artery; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology