Post-traumatic venous and systemic air embolism associated with spinal epidural emphysema: multi-slice computed tomography diagnosis.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_5F047C104C00
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Case report (case report): feedback on an observation with a short commentary.
Collection
Publications
Title
Post-traumatic venous and systemic air embolism associated with spinal epidural emphysema: multi-slice computed tomography diagnosis.
Journal
Forensic Science International
Author(s)
Dedouit F., Otal P., Loubes-Lacroix F., Rousseau H., Costagliola R., Telmon N., Joffre F., Rouge D.
ISSN
0379-0738 (Print)
ISSN-L
0379-0738
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2006
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
158
Number
2-3
Pages
190-194
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Case Reports ; Journal ArticlePublication Status: ppublish
Abstract
A 30-year-old man was admitted with chest trauma after a road traffic accident. The patient was paraplegic and suffered from transient monoparesia of the left arm. The chest X-ray revealed a severe right tension pneumothorax and thoracic spine fractures. Emergency right thoracic drainage was carried out followed by angiography. Unfortunately the patient died and an autopsy was not permitted. Consequently post-mortem multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) was performed, revealing presence of air inside the right cerebral arteries, bilateral pneumothorax accompanied by a severe right tension pneumothorax, bilateral haematic pleural effusion, pneumomediastinum and bilateral lung contusions. Air was also observed within the right coronary artery, ascending aorta and right ventricle. Thoracic and cervical spinal epidural emphysema were diagnosed. Venous air embolism followed by arterial air embolism producing paradoxical embolism was diagnosed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case illustrating by post-mortem MSCT such simultaneous complications after chest trauma as spinal epidural emphysema and cerebral and coronary air embolism.
Keywords
Accidents, Traffic, Adult, Contusions/radiography, Coronary Angiography, Embolism, Air/radiography, Emphysema/radiography, Epidural Space/radiography, Forensic Medicine, Humans, Intracranial Embolism/radiography, Lung/radiography, Lung Injury, Male, Mediastinal Emphysema/radiography, Pleural Effusion/radiography, Pneumothorax/radiography, Spinal Diseases/radiography, Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
12/01/2016 10:45
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:16
Usage data