[Carbon dioxide embolism during hysteroscopy followed by transient blindness]

A 43 year-old woman, with uterine bleeding and right ovary cyst, was scheduled for hysteroscopy-curettage and laparoscopy. Her history was unremarkable. After induction of general anaesthesia and tracheal intubation (propofol, fentanyl, vecuronium), anesthesia was maintained with N2O/O2 (60%/40%) and isoflurane 1 vol %. The patient was placed in the dorsal lithotomy position. Two minutes after the beginning of CO2 insufflation for hysteroscopy, a ventricular tachycardia with a circulatory arrest suddenly occurred. Insufflation was stopped, cardiopulmonary resuscitation started and lignocaine 100 mg iv administered. The haemodynamic status improved rapidly with a return to sinusal rhythm and stable blood pressure within two minutes. In the recovery room, the patient was restless and experienced blindness for 3 hours. Physical examination and all investigations (EEG, brain CT scan, carotid Doppler and transoesophageal echocardiography) were normal. The most probable diagnosis was a CO2 venous embolism associated with an arterial paradoxal embolism responsible for the temporary blindness.