Fat embolism to the systemic circulation in polytrauma patients is very common. The fat embolism syndrome (FES), however, is a rare condition. We describe a case of traumatic femur fracture with FES that was presented as acute tonsillar herniation (coning) and brain death postoperatively. We believe that in this case the prone position and moderate hypercapnia contributed to the acute coning.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the available evidence regarding the effect that corticosteroids have on the prevention of fat embolism syndrome after long bone fracture of the lower limbs or pelvic fracture. METHODS In March of 2007, we performed a search of various electronic databases, including Medline, the Excerpta Medica database, the Cochrane Library, the Latin American and Caribbean Health Scien...

Departments of Internal Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei. Received: 15 March 2001. Revised: 19 April 2001. Accepted: 8 May 2001. Reprint requests and correspondence to: Dr. Ping-Hung Kuo, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan. SERIAL ANALYSIS OF FAT-CONTAINING MACROPHAGES IN BRON...

Cerebral fat embolism is an uncommon but serious complication of long-bone fracture. Nonetheless, recognition of this uncommon complication remains difficult. Here we present two cases of cerebral fat embolism syndrome (CFES) and describe a possible association between CFES and high lactate levels.

A 66-year-old woman receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis developed acute respiratory distress 12 hours after a fall. Blood gas analysis revealed hypoxia (PaO2 67.7 torr) and metabolic acidosis with an increased anion gap, consistent with lactic acidosis (lactate, 86.5 mg/dL; normal range, 4.0-16.0). Magnetic resonance imaging showed a lumbar vertebral body fracture. On the fourth...

The incidence of clinical fat embolism syndrome (FES) is low (<1%) whilst fat embolism (FE) of marrow fat appears to occur more often (Mellor and Soni (2001)). Paradoxical brain FE may occur in patients undergoing hip orthopedic surgery who have an undocumented patent foramen ovale (PFO). We report a case of an eighty-year-old male patient, who underwent a scheduled revision hip surgery sufferi...

Fat Embolism (FE) develops in 90% of all bone fractures. Fat Embolism Syndrome (FES) is a serious manifestation of FE with an incidence of 0.5-2.0% among all long bone fractures. It is believed to be caused by the toxic effects of free fatty acids but still, there is considerable controversy over both the source of fat emboli and their mode of action [1]. The exact pathogenesis is unclear but i...