Systemic arterial air embolism and tension pneumothorax: two complications of transthoracic percutaneous thin-needle biopsy in the same patient

Abstract

Systemic arterial air embolism and tension pneumothorax are two rare and severe complications of transthoracic fine-needle biopsy. We report on a patient who developed both complications during the same procedure and recovered successfully after resuscitation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Favourable outcome of systemic air arterial embolism has been reported infrequently in the literature. In our case tension pneumothorax may have influenced favourably the course of the illness due to collapse of distal airways and the reduction of the venous return to the heart from the affected side.