© 2000 the Emergency Medicine Journal
Case report
Prolonged coma due to cerebral fat embolism: report of two cases
Intensive Care Unit, Athens Trauma Hospital, Athens, Greece
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to: Dr L Gregorakos, 51 Agias Sofias Str, 10444 Athens, Greece
Fat embolism syndrome remains a rare, but potentially life threatening complication of long bone fractures. The true incidence is difficult to assess as many cases remain undiagnosed. Cerebral involvement varies from confusion to encephalopathy with coma and seizures. Clinical symptoms and computed tomography are not always diagnostic, while magnetic resonance imaging is more sensitive in the detection of a suspected brain embolism. Two cases of post-traumatic cerebral fat embolism, manifested by prolonged coma and diffuse cerebral oedema, are presented. The clinical course of the disease as well as the intensive care unit management are discussed.
Keywords: cerebral fat embolism; fat embolism syndrome; coma
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