• Robert Gardner, Leo H Wang, Andria Ford, and Salah G Keyrouz.
• Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
• Neurocrit Care. 2008 Jan 1; 8 (3): 434-6.

IntroductionAirembolism without obvious trauma or surgery is rare.MethodsCase report.ResultsFour years after resection of a non-small cell lung cancer, a 57-year-old man presented with recurrent episodes of sudden onset neurological deficits. Head computer tomographic (CT) scans suggested air embolism, and further investigations showed a potential anastomosis between a pulmonary air cavity and a pulmonary vein. He was treated surgically by debridement of the bronchovascular bundles surrounding the air cavity. The patient had no further neurologic deficits during 10 months of post-surgical follow-up.ConclusionIn the absence of trauma, sinus disease, recent surgery, or vascular procedures, the presence of air in the brain is unusual, and pulmonary sources of air embolism should be considered.

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