Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2009; 57(6): 373-375
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1038896
Case Reports

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Paradoxical Brain Embolism Caused by Pulmonary Arteriovenous Fistula

Q.-Z. Li1 , F. Yao1 , L.-X. Yang1 , Z. Y. Xu1
  • 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
Further Information

Publication History

received March 10, 2008

Publication Date:
25 August 2009 (online)

Abstract

We report here a case of special paradoxical brain embolism in a 40-year-old woman with neurological events who was diagnosed with medulla oblongata infarction. Contrast-enhanced pulmonary CT discovered that the patient had a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula (PAVF). The PAVF was later surgically resected. We conclude that if a patent foramen ovale cannot be confirmed by echocardiography, contrast-enhanced pulmonary CT scan could prove to be a helpful tool to detect another origin of a right-to-left shunt such as pulmonary arteriovenous fistula.

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Prof. Zhi Yun Xu

Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery

174 Changhai Road

200433 Shanghai

P. R. China

Phone: + 86 21 25 07 29 14

Fax: + 86 21 65 49 09 79

Email: zhiyunx@hotmail.com