Abstract
Cerebral gas embolism may be revealed by the sudden onset of unconsciousness sometimes after surgery or after diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The clinical diagnosis may be difficult if the context is not relevant. Imaging can therefore play a crucial role in revealing the presence of intracranial gas bubbles on CT or MRI scans. This report is of a case of fatal cerebral gas embolism revealed by CT and MRI performed for deep and unexplained coma. Etiological diagnosis revealed the presence of a lung tumor invading the mediastinum, thus possibly allowing the migration of gas from the lung to the arterial cerebral circulation. A second MRI performed 8 days after the initial event with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((1)H-MRSI) allowed better comprehension of the pathophysiological mechanisms of cerebral injury secondary to gas embolism by showing two kinds of cerebral lesions: white-matter vasogenic edema and cytotoxic gray-matter edema.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
