Cerebral Air Embolism After Pigtail Catheter Drainage for Pneumothorax: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Objective: Cerebral air embolism (CAE) is an extremely rare but serious complication of pigtail catheter drainage. The aim of the case report is to review our experience in the diagnosis and treatment for CAE after pigtail catheter drainage.Case presentation: In our study, we report a case of CAE following pigtail catheter insertion for pneumothorax. A 50-year-old man was diagnosed with a pulmonary mass in the right lower lobe. He underwent a right lower lobectomy. Pneumothorax was present after the removal of the chest tube. Pigtail catheter drainage was used in order to treat the pneumothorax, which resulted in convulsions, limb stiffness, and unconsciousness. A brain CT scan was immediately performed and showed multiple low densities in the right occipital lobe, which was diagnosed as CAE. Assisted breathing, antibiotic treatment, and antiepileptic therapy were used and the patient gradually improved and was discharged at 27 days of treatment but the muscle strength of the left limb was weakened.Conclusion: We analyzed and summarized the possible causes of CAE in the literature, and the findings of the case could enhance the vigilance of clinicians.

Download Full-text

Enhancing vigilance for cerebral air embolism after pneumonectomy: a case report

BMC Pulmonary Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12890-020-01358-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yijun Mo ◽

Lina Lin ◽

Jun Yan ◽

Chenghua Zhong ◽

Jun Kuang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Case Report ◽

Air Embolism ◽

First Aid ◽

Cerebral Air Embolism ◽

Case Presentation ◽

Important Complication ◽

Left Limb ◽

First Time ◽

Medical Process

Abstract Background Vascular air embolism (VAE) is a rare but important complication that has not been paid enough attention to in the medical process such as surgery and anesthesia. Case presentation We report for the first time that a 54-year-old male patient with central lung cancer developed severe complications of CAE after right pneumonectomy. After targeted first-aid measures such as assisted breathing, mannitol dehydration and antibiotic treatment, the patient gradually improved. The patient became conscious at discharge after 25 days of treatment but left limb was left with nerve injury symptoms. Conclusion We analyzed the possible causes of CAE in this case, and the findings from this report would be highly useful as a reference to clinicians.

Download Full-text

Cerebral Air Embolism in a Patient with a Tuberculous-Destroyed Lung during Commercial Air Travel: A Case Report

Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology ◽

10.3348/jksr.2011.65.2.109 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 109 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hyun Seok Jung ◽

Hae Woong Jeong ◽

Hyun Sin In

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Air Embolism ◽

Air Travel ◽

Cerebral Air Embolism ◽

Destroyed Lung

Download Full-text

Multinodular and Vacuolating Neuronal Tumor

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2018.403 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (9) ◽

pp. 1697-1698 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Charmaine Zahra ◽

Reuben Grech

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Brain Imaging ◽

Temporal Lobe ◽

Benign Lesion ◽

Occipital Lobe ◽

Imaging Findings ◽

Cns Tumours ◽

The Right ◽

Rare Diagnosis ◽

Neuronal Tumor

BACKGROUND: Multinodular and Vacuolating Neuronal Tumor (MVNT) of the cerebrum is a benign lesion described recently in the WHO CNS tumours in 2016. Although this tumour is uncommon, clinicians should be acquainted with the possible presentation and imaging findings. CASE REPORT: We present a case of a young gentleman whose only symptom was absence seizures. Brain imaging showed lesions, compatible with this rare diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Our description of imaging findings on MRI highlights the characteristic cystic appearances of note in the right occipital lobe, in contrast to the temporal lobe as the predominant location found in previous cases.

Download Full-text

Ectopic spleen presenting as a slowly enlarging lung nodule in the right lower lobe following gastric pull up operation

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2020-237912 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. e237912

Author(s):

Anas Alfahad ◽

Rima Hussain ◽

Mamatha Devaraj ◽

Alexandr Svec

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Oesophageal Cancer ◽

Lung Nodule ◽

Lower Lobe ◽

Ct Guided ◽

Ectopic Spleen ◽

Guided Biopsy ◽

Ct Guided Biopsy ◽

The Right ◽

Gastric Pull Up

This is a case report of an elderly man who was investigated at our respiratory clinic for slowly enlarging right lower lobe lung nodule on the background of oesophageal cancer diagnosed more than 11 years ago with gastric pull up. CT guided biopsy confirms the diagnosis of intrathoracic ectopic spleen.

Download Full-text

Therapeutic hypothermia in cerebral air embolism: a case report

SpringerPlus ◽

10.1186/2193-1801-2-411 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jochen Bäuerle ◽

Andreas Fischer ◽

Tobias Hornig ◽

Karl Egger ◽

Tobias Wengenmayer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Therapeutic Hypothermia ◽

Air Embolism ◽

Cerebral Air Embolism

Download Full-text

Cerebral air embolism during upper endoscopy: case report and review

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy ◽

10.1016/s0016-5107(04)02788-9 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 61 (4) ◽

pp. 620-623 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Bryan T. Green ◽

David A. Tendler

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Air Embolism ◽

Upper Endoscopy ◽

Cerebral Air Embolism

Download Full-text

A Case Report of Cerebral Air Embolism after Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: Diagnosis and Management in the Emergency Department

Journal of Emergency Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.jemermed.2010.11.031 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 976-979 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Ananda V. Pandurangadu ◽

Jose A.P. Paul ◽

Mohammed Barawi ◽

Charlene B. Irvin

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Case Report ◽

Air Embolism ◽

Cerebral Air Embolism ◽

Diagnosis And Management

Download Full-text

Republished: Paradoxical cerebral air embolism causing large vessel occlusion treated with endovascular aspiration

Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery ◽

10.1136/neurintsurg-2016-012535.rep ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. e10-e10 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Patrick J Belton ◽

Ashish Nanda ◽

Syeda L Alqadri ◽

Gurpreet S Khakh ◽

Premkumar Nattanmai Chandrasekaran ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxygen Therapy ◽

Varicose Veins ◽

Air Embolism ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Cerebral Air Embolism ◽

Total Occlusion ◽

High Flow Oxygen ◽

The Right

Cerebral air embolism is a dreaded complication of invasive medical procedures. The mainstay of therapy for patients with cerebral air embolism has been hyperbaric oxygen therapy, high flow oxygen therapy, and anticonvulsants. We present a novel therapeutic approach for treatment of cerebral air embolism causing large vessel occlusion, using endovascular aspiration. Our patient developed a cerebral air embolism following sclerotherapy for varicose veins. This caused near total occlusion of the superior division of the M2 segment of the right middle cerebral artery. Symptoms included unilateral paralysis, unintelligible speech, and hemianopia; National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on presentation was 16. The air embolism was treated using a distal aspiration technique. Angiography following aspiration showed Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2B reperfusion. Following aspiration, the patient was re-examined; NIHSS at that time was 4. At 1 month follow-up, the modified Rankin Scale score was 1 and NIHSS was 1. Treatment of cerebral air embolism is discussed.

Download Full-text