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Extremely Acute-Onset Cerebral Fat Embolism
Authors Tsuru S, Adachi H
Received 1 August 2020
Accepted for publication 1 October 2020
Published 14 October 2020 Volume 2020:13 Pages 833—837
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S274803
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 3
Editor who approved publication: Dr Scott Fraser
Shota Tsuru, Hiroshi Adachi
Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Aso Iizuka Hospital, Fukuoka 820-8505, Japan
Correspondence: Shota Tsuru Department of Intensive Care Medicine
Aso Iizuka Hospital, 3-83yoshio-Machi Iizuka-City, Fukuoka 820-8505, Japan
Tel +81-90-7538-4416
Fax +81-948-29-5744
Email shotatsuru@gmail.com
Abstract: Cerebral fat embolism (CFE) causes the neurological involvement observed in fat embolism syndrome, which is a post-traumatic complication seen mostly after long bone fractures and usually presents 24– 72 h after the injury. An early 80s female who sustained an isolated traumatic fracture of the left distal femur without dislocation was alert on admission but fell into a coma 55 min after the injury. Brain computed tomography showed no abnormalities. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed approximately 5 h after the accident, and diffusion-weighted images revealed hyperintense, dot-like lesions disseminated in a “starfield” pattern in the brain. The patient was diagnosed with CFE and admitted to the intensive care unit. The day after the injury, the patient developed petechiae on the palpebral conjunctiva and was still comatose 4 months after the trauma. The current patient developing CFE in less than 1 h after a traumatic injury illustrates that CFE should be considered in patients with sudden deterioration of consciousness within 1 h after long bone fractures.
Keywords: emergency medicine, trauma, radiology (diagnostics)
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