Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Nov 1997
Case ReportsMassive air embolus to the left ventricle: diagnosis and monitoring by serial echocardiography.
Air embolization is an unusual but potentially dangerous complication in left heart catheterization. Microbubbles can be detected with two-dimensional echocardiography, which is often used for this purpose during open heart and bypass surgeries. Permanent neurologic sequelae and hemodynamic collapse can result from embolization of air bubbles to the cerebral and coronary circulations, respectively. ⋯ We present a 39-year-old man who had air embolization during left ventriculography in the form of a large pocket of "pooled" air. The patient was treated with conservative therapy successfully. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography was used to document the presence of the air and follow its dissolution.