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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Induction of Cerebral Arterial Gas Embolism in Rat
Published on: October 18, 2024
Nonfatal cerebral air embolism after dental surgery
Giuseppina Magni1, Carmela Imperiale, Giovanni Rosa
1Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Policlinico Umberto I University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. gmagni@yahoo.com
Abstract:
After removal of four impacted third molars under general anesthesia, our patient developed subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumopericardium, and pneumomediastinum. Soon thereafter, coma with generalized epileptic status ensued. A cerebral magnetic resonance and single photon emission computed tomography showed hypoperfusion of the right thalamus and parietal, temporal, and frontal cortices. The likely mechanism was injection of air by the high-speed dental drill through the soft tissue adjacent to the roots of the lower molars. We were unable to find any previous report of systemic air embolism after oral surgery.
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Epistaxis
Etiology
Possible causes of this condition include high blood pressure, trauma, low humidity, upper respiratory tract infections, allergies, foreign bodies, nasal inhalation of corticosteroids or illicit drugs, excessive use of decongestant nasal sprays, facial or nasal surgery, anatomic malformation, tumors, or systemic...
