Massive cerebral fat embolism leading to brain death: A rare presentation
Sugata Pal, Shivanand Gamangatti
Keywords :
Brain death, fat embolism, trauma
Citation Information :
Pal S, Gamangatti S. Massive cerebral fat embolism leading to brain death: A rare presentation. Indian J Crit Care Med 2015; 19 (11):687-689.
Fat embolism syndrome (FES) typically consists of a triad of neurological, pulmonary, and cutaneous symptoms. There exist few case reports of FES involving central nervous system (CNS) only without pulmonary involvement. In most of such cases, CNS involvement is partial, and patients recover fully neurologically within days. We report a rare and unusual case of massive cerebral fat embolism that led to brain death in trauma patient.
Parisi DM, Koval K, Egol K. Fat embolism syndrome. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ) 2002;31:507-12.
Bardana D, Rudan J, Cervenko F, Smith R. Fat embolism syndrome in a patient demonstrating only neurologic symptoms. Can J Surg 1998;41:398-402.
Gupta A, Reilly CS. Fat embolism. Contin Educ Anaesth Crit Care Pain 2007;7:148-51.
Jorens PG, Van Marck E, Snoeckx A, Parizel PM. Nonthrombotic pulmonary embolism. Eur Respir J 2009;34:452-74.
Metting Z, Rödiger LA, Regtien JG, van der Naalt J. Delayed coma in head injury: Consider cerebral fat embolism. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2009;111:597-600.
Parizel PM, Demey HE, Veeckmans G, Verstreken F, Cras P, Jorens PG, et al. Early diagnosis of cerebral fat embolism syndrome by diffusion-weighted MRI (starfield pattern). Stroke 2001;32:2942-4.
Mellor A, Soni N. Fat embolism. Anaesthesia 2001;56:145-54.
Bracco D, Favre JB, Joris R, Ravussin A. Fatal fat embolism syndrome: A case report. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 2000;12:221-4.
Walshe CM, Cooper JD, Kossmann T, Hayes I, Iles L. Cerebral fat embolism syndrome causing brain death after long-bone fractures and acetazolamide therapy. Crit Care Resusc 2007;9:184-6.
