Acute pulmonary edema after low-level air embolism during craniotomy. Case report. 1996

D M Frim, and L Wollman, and A B Evans, and R G Ojemann
Neurosurgery Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.

Acute pulmonary edema after a large air embolus occurring during neurosurgery is a recognized phenomenon. The authors describe the course of a 76-year-old man who presented with noncardiogenic pulmonary edema shortly after undergoing resection of a high convexity meningioma. Transthoracic Doppler sonography, however, showed no evidence of a large intraoperative emboli; the evidence for ongoing but low-magnitude air embolus included visualization of bone aspiration of irrigant before bone-edge waxing, transient intraoperative declines in end-tidal CO2 tension, and an increase of the fraction of inspired oxygen to maintain adequate saturation after removal of the craniotomy flap. There was no hemodynamic instability noted. The airspace disease was self-limited and resolved on supportive treatment after approximately 1 week, as would be expected for pulmonary edema caused by a single large intravenous air embolus. The authors present this case as the first report of pulmonary edema resulting from low-level air embolus occurring during craniotomy. This situation may go unrecognized intraoperatively but can cause the same significant postoperative morbidity as larger, more easily identified air emboli.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008577 Meningeal Neoplasms Benign and malignant neoplastic processes that arise from or secondarily involve the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord. Intracranial Meningeal Neoplasms,Spinal Meningeal Neoplasms,Benign Meningeal Neoplasms,Leptomeningeal Neoplasms,Malignant Meningeal Neoplasms,Meningeal Cancer,Meningeal Neoplasms, Benign,Meningeal Neoplasms, Intracranial,Meningeal Neoplasms, Malignant,Meningeal Tumors,Neoplasms, Leptomeningeal,Neoplasms, Meningeal,Benign Meningeal Neoplasm,Cancer, Meningeal,Cancers, Meningeal,Intracranial Meningeal Neoplasm,Leptomeningeal Neoplasm,Malignant Meningeal Neoplasm,Meningeal Cancers,Meningeal Neoplasm,Meningeal Neoplasm, Benign,Meningeal Neoplasm, Intracranial,Meningeal Neoplasm, Malignant,Meningeal Neoplasm, Spinal,Meningeal Neoplasms, Spinal,Meningeal Tumor,Neoplasm, Benign Meningeal,Neoplasm, Intracranial Meningeal,Neoplasm, Leptomeningeal,Neoplasm, Malignant Meningeal,Neoplasm, Meningeal,Neoplasm, Spinal Meningeal,Neoplasms, Benign Meningeal,Neoplasms, Intracranial Meningeal,Neoplasms, Malignant Meningeal,Neoplasms, Spinal Meningeal,Spinal Meningeal Neoplasm,Tumor, Meningeal,Tumors, Meningeal
D008579 Meningioma A relatively common neoplasm of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that arises from arachnoidal cells. The majority are well differentiated vascular tumors which grow slowly and have a low potential to be invasive, although malignant subtypes occur. Meningiomas have a predilection to arise from the parasagittal region, cerebral convexity, sphenoidal ridge, olfactory groove, and SPINAL CANAL. (From DeVita et al., Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 5th ed, pp2056-7) Benign Meningioma,Malignant Meningioma,Meningiomas, Multiple,Meningiomatosis,Angioblastic Meningioma,Angiomatous Meningioma,Cerebral Convexity Meningioma,Clear Cell Meningioma,Fibrous Meningioma,Hemangioblastic Meningioma,Hemangiopericytic Meningioma,Intracranial Meningioma,Intraorbital Meningioma,Intraventricular Meningioma,Meningotheliomatous Meningioma,Microcystic Meningioma,Olfactory Groove Meningioma,Papillary Meningioma,Parasagittal Meningioma,Posterior Fossa Meningioma,Psammomatous Meningioma,Secretory Meningioma,Sphenoid Wing Meningioma,Spinal Meningioma,Transitional Meningioma,Xanthomatous Meningioma,Angioblastic Meningiomas,Angiomatous Meningiomas,Benign Meningiomas,Cerebral Convexity Meningiomas,Clear Cell Meningiomas,Convexity Meningioma, Cerebral,Convexity Meningiomas, Cerebral,Fibrous Meningiomas,Groove Meningiomas, Olfactory,Hemangioblastic Meningiomas,Hemangiopericytic Meningiomas,Intracranial Meningiomas,Intraorbital Meningiomas,Intraventricular Meningiomas,Malignant Meningiomas,Meningioma, Angioblastic,Meningioma, Angiomatous,Meningioma, Benign,Meningioma, Cerebral Convexity,Meningioma, Clear Cell,Meningioma, Fibrous,Meningioma, Hemangioblastic,Meningioma, Hemangiopericytic,Meningioma, Intracranial,Meningioma, Intraorbital,Meningioma, Intraventricular,Meningioma, Malignant,Meningioma, Meningotheliomatous,Meningioma, Microcystic,Meningioma, Multiple,Meningioma, Olfactory Groove,Meningioma, Papillary,Meningioma, Parasagittal,Meningioma, Posterior Fossa,Meningioma, Psammomatous,Meningioma, Secretory,Meningioma, Sphenoid Wing,Meningioma, Spinal,Meningioma, Transitional,Meningioma, Xanthomatous,Meningiomas,Meningiomas, Angioblastic,Meningiomas, Angiomatous,Meningiomas, Benign,Meningiomas, Cerebral Convexity,Meningiomas, Clear Cell,Meningiomas, Fibrous,Meningiomas, Hemangioblastic,Meningiomas, Hemangiopericytic,Meningiomas, Intracranial,Meningiomas, Intraorbital,Meningiomas, Intraventricular,Meningiomas, Malignant,Meningiomas, Meningotheliomatous,Meningiomas, Microcystic,Meningiomas, Olfactory Groove,Meningiomas, Papillary,Meningiomas, Parasagittal,Meningiomas, Posterior Fossa,Meningiomas, Psammomatous,Meningiomas, Secretory,Meningiomas, Sphenoid Wing,Meningiomas, Spinal,Meningiomas, Transitional,Meningiomas, Xanthomatous,Meningiomatoses,Meningotheliomatous Meningiomas,Microcystic Meningiomas,Multiple Meningioma,Multiple Meningiomas,Olfactory Groove Meningiomas,Papillary Meningiomas,Parasagittal Meningiomas,Posterior Fossa Meningiomas,Psammomatous Meningiomas,Secretory Meningiomas,Sphenoid Wing Meningiomas,Spinal Meningiomas,Transitional Meningiomas,Wing Meningioma, Sphenoid,Wing Meningiomas, Sphenoid,Xanthomatous Meningiomas
D011654 Pulmonary Edema Excessive accumulation of extravascular fluid in the lung, an indication of a serious underlying disease or disorder. Pulmonary edema prevents efficient PULMONARY GAS EXCHANGE in the PULMONARY ALVEOLI, and can be life-threatening. Wet Lung,Edema, Pulmonary,Edemas, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Edemas,Lung, Wet,Lungs, Wet,Wet Lungs
D003399 Craniotomy Surgical incision into the cranium. Craniectomy,Craniectomies,Craniotomies
D004618 Embolism, Air Blocking of a blood vessel by air bubbles that enter the circulatory system, usually after TRAUMA; surgical procedures, or changes in atmospheric pressure. Air Embolism,Embolism, Gas,Air Embolisms,Embolisms, Air,Embolisms, Gas,Gas Embolism,Gas Embolisms
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D014057 Tomography, X-Ray Computed Tomography using x-ray transmission and a computer algorithm to reconstruct the image. CAT Scan, X-Ray,CT Scan, X-Ray,Cine-CT,Computerized Tomography, X-Ray,Electron Beam Computed Tomography,Tomodensitometry,Tomography, Transmission Computed,X-Ray Tomography, Computed,CAT Scan, X Ray,CT X Ray,Computed Tomography, X-Ray,Computed X Ray Tomography,Computerized Tomography, X Ray,Electron Beam Tomography,Tomography, X Ray Computed,Tomography, X-Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized Axial,Tomography, Xray Computed,X Ray Computerized Tomography,X Ray Tomography, Computed,X-Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,Beam Tomography, Electron,CAT Scans, X-Ray,CT Scan, X Ray,CT Scans, X-Ray,CT X Rays,Cine CT,Computed Tomography, Transmission,Computed Tomography, X Ray,Computed Tomography, Xray,Computed X-Ray Tomography,Scan, X-Ray CAT,Scan, X-Ray CT,Scans, X-Ray CAT,Scans, X-Ray CT,Tomographies, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Electron Beam,Tomography, X Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X Ray Computerized,Tomography, X Ray Computerized Axial,Transmission Computed Tomography,X Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,X Ray, CT,X Rays, CT,X-Ray CAT Scan,X-Ray CAT Scans,X-Ray CT Scan,X-Ray CT Scans,X-Ray Computed Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Tomography,Xray Computed Tomography

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