Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat Embolism
Background and Importance. Cerebral fat embolism (CFE) occurs mainly after long-bone fractures. Often reducing to minor neurological disorders as confusion, it can sometimes cause more severe consequences such as coma or even death. While CFE has been described for several years, there is no consens...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Critical Care |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/2708734 |
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| author | Charlène Couturier Guillaume Dupont François Vassal Claire Boutet Jérôme Morel |
| author_facet | Charlène Couturier Guillaume Dupont François Vassal Claire Boutet Jérôme Morel |
| author_sort | Charlène Couturier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and Importance. Cerebral fat embolism (CFE) occurs mainly after long-bone fractures. Often reducing to minor neurological disorders as confusion, it can sometimes cause more severe consequences such as coma or even death. While CFE has been described for several years, there is no consensual treatment. Clinical Presentation. We report the case of a 15-year-old girl with a severe cerebral fat embolism secondary to a longboard fall with a femur fracture. She developed in less than 4 hours a coma. On day 4, she lost her brainstem reflexes with a clinical condition close to brain death, with a very high intracranial pressure (ICP) value above 75 mmgH at worst. She was treated as having a trauma brain injury based on ICP control with a decompressive hemicraniectomy. She recovered in some weeks, allowing discharge to a post ICU rehabilitation center, one month after admission. Conclusion. We report a severe case of cerebral fat embolism with good outcome. It was managed as a trauma brain injury. We emphasize the neurological management based on ICP and discuss the position of hemicraniectomy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4cee443db09747bc85fca952df9647c6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2090-6420 2090-6439 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Critical Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-4cee443db09747bc85fca952df9647c62025-08-20T02:38:36ZengWileyCase Reports in Critical Care2090-64202090-64392019-01-01201910.1155/2019/27087342708734Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat EmbolismCharlène Couturier0Guillaume Dupont1François Vassal2Claire Boutet3Jérôme Morel4Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine Department (MD), Saint Etienne University Hospital Center, Avenue Albert Raimond, 42270 Saint-Priest-En-Jarez, FranceAnesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine Department (MD), Saint Etienne University Hospital Center, Avenue Albert Raimond, 42270 Saint-Priest-En-Jarez, FranceNeurosurgery Department, Saint Etienne University Hospital Center, Avenue Albert Raimond, 42270 Saint-Priest-En-Jarez, FranceRadiology Department, Saint Etienne University Hospital Center, Avenue Albert Raimond, 42270 Saint-Priest-En-Jarez, FranceAnesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine Department, Saint Etienne University Hospital Center, Avenue Albert Raimond, 42270 Saint-Priest-En-Jarez, FranceBackground and Importance. Cerebral fat embolism (CFE) occurs mainly after long-bone fractures. Often reducing to minor neurological disorders as confusion, it can sometimes cause more severe consequences such as coma or even death. While CFE has been described for several years, there is no consensual treatment. Clinical Presentation. We report the case of a 15-year-old girl with a severe cerebral fat embolism secondary to a longboard fall with a femur fracture. She developed in less than 4 hours a coma. On day 4, she lost her brainstem reflexes with a clinical condition close to brain death, with a very high intracranial pressure (ICP) value above 75 mmgH at worst. She was treated as having a trauma brain injury based on ICP control with a decompressive hemicraniectomy. She recovered in some weeks, allowing discharge to a post ICU rehabilitation center, one month after admission. Conclusion. We report a severe case of cerebral fat embolism with good outcome. It was managed as a trauma brain injury. We emphasize the neurological management based on ICP and discuss the position of hemicraniectomy.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/2708734 |
| spellingShingle | Charlène Couturier Guillaume Dupont François Vassal Claire Boutet Jérôme Morel Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat Embolism Case Reports in Critical Care |
| title | Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat Embolism |
| title_full | Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat Embolism |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat Embolism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat Embolism |
| title_short | Effectiveness of Decompressive Hemicraniectomy to Treat a Life-Threatening Cerebral Fat Embolism |
| title_sort | effectiveness of decompressive hemicraniectomy to treat a life threatening cerebral fat embolism |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/2708734 |
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