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Case Reports
. 2011 Nov;92(5):1901-3.
doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2011.03.054. Epub 2011 Oct 31.

Fatal cerebral air embolus complicating multimodality treatment of esophageal cancer

Siva Raja  1 , Thomas W Rice, David P Mason, Christina Rodriguez, Carmela Tan, E Rene Rodriguez, Edward Manno, Gregory M Videtic, Sudish C Murthy
Affiliations
Case Reports

Fatal cerebral air embolus complicating multimodality treatment of esophageal cancer

Siva Raja et al. Ann Thorac Surg. 2011 Nov.

Abstract

A 38-year-old woman with clinical T3N1M0 esophageal adenocarcinoma received an institutional protocol of induction chemotherapy, esophagectomy, and consolidation chemoradiotherapy. Three months after treatment, she had an acute mental status change develop and grand mal seizures. Intracranial imaging demonstrated massive cerebral air emboli, and a rapidly fatal neurologic deterioration ensued. At autopsy, a nonmalignant 0.5-cm gastric conduit to the left atrial fistula was identified. This case illustrates a rare, but fatal, late benign complication of aggressive therapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

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