Spontaneous cerebral air embolism associated with remote lung surgery

Introduction: Airembolism without obvious trauma or surgery is rare. Methods: Case report. Results: Four 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. Conclusion: In 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.