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Chen et al. Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2018;5:31 Neuroimmunology
DOI: 10.20517/2347-8659.2018.23 and Neuroinflammation

Case Report Open Access

Cerebral fat embolism syndrome after long bone
fracture due to traffic accident: a case report

Xing-Yong Chen , Jian-Ming Fan , Ming-Feng Deng , Ting Jiang , Feng Luo 3
2,#
1,#
2
3
1 Department of Neurology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University Provincial Clinical College, Fuzhou 350001, China.
2 Intensive Care Unit, Fujian Provincial Hospital Wuyi Branch Hospital, Wuyishan City Hospital, Wuyishan 354300, China.
3 Department of Image Diagnoses, Fujian Provincial Hospital Wuyi Branch Hospital, Wuyishan City Hospital, Wuyishan 354300, China.
# Authors contributed equally.
Correspondence to: Dr. Xing-Yong Chen, Department of Neurology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University
Provincial Clinical College, Fuzhou 350001, China. E-mail: cxyong77@163.com; Dr. Jian-Ming Fan, Intensive Care Unit, Fujian
Provincial Hospital Wuyi Branch Hospital, Wuyishan City Hospital, Wuyishan 354300, China. E-mail: 13706910979@139.com

How to cite this article: Chen XY, Fang JM, Deng MF, Jiang T, Luo F. Cerebral fat embolism syndrome after long bone fracture due
to traffic accident: a case report. Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2018;5:31. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-8659.2018.23

Received: 26 Apr 2018 First Decision: 11 Jun 2018 Revised: 20 Jun 2018 Accepted: 20 Jun 2018 Published: 1 Aug 2018
Science Editor: Athanassios P. Kyritsis Copy Editor: Jun-Yao Li Production Editor: Cai-Hong Wang

Abstract
Cerebral fat embolism syndrome (CFES) is an uncommon but serious complication of long bone fracture. We reported
a 19-year-old male patient who sustained CFES due to multiple limbs long bone fractures after a traffic accident injury.
He gradually developed into coma within 24 h after his injury. The arterial blood gas analyses were normal. There was
a small amount of gas in the right pleural cavity on the thoracic computed tomography (CT). Although there were no
remarkable intracranial abnormalities on the initial brain CT findings, the typical brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
findings of the starfield pattern and scattered foci were observed. Both T2-weighted imaging and diffusion weighted
imaging of MRI indicated multiple scattered lesions in the bilateral cerebrum hemisphere white matter, grey matter,
basal ganglia, corpus callosum and thalamus indicative of acute infarcts without microbleeding on the susceptibility-
weighted imaging sequences. With the above findings, the diagnosis of the case was cerebral fat embolism syndrome.
Although the patient was treated with comprehensive support in the intensive care unit, he remained unconscious and
was discharged after 7 days of hospitalization.

Keywords: Cerebral fat embolism, infarction, long bone fracture

INTRODUCTION
Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a potentially fatal complication and occurs most commonly after long
bone fracture. Many cases occur as subclinical events and remain undiagnosed. The incidence of clinically

© The Author(s) 2018. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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