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Case Reports
. 2020 May 13;15(7):1011-1013.
doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2020.04.052. eCollection 2020 Jul.

Air bubbles in the brain: retrograde venous gas embolism in the cavernous sinus

S Allioui  1 , S Zaimi  1 , S Sninate  1 , M Abdellaoui  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Air bubbles in the brain: retrograde venous gas embolism in the cavernous sinus

S Allioui et al. Radiol Case Rep. .

Abstract

We present a rare case of cavernous sinuses air embolism occurring after peripheral venous catheterization. This 44-year-old lady followed for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura was referred to our service for vomiting and critical headaches after blood transfusion for her thrombocytopenia. Having been submitted to a brain computed tomography, this later showed air bubbles in bilateral cavernous sinuses related to cavernous sinuses gas embolism. This condition, which remains purely unusual could be fatal, where the ultimate importance that the radiologists and clinicians to be fully aware of.

Keywords: CT; Venous; brain; cavernous sinuses; embolism.

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Figures

Fig. 1 –
Fig. 1
Nonenhanced brain CT showing air bubbles in the bilateral cavernous sinuses (Arrow) on the parenchymal (A) and bone window (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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