Cerebral fat embolism after traumatic bone fractures: a structured literature review and analysis of published case reports.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The incidence of cerebral fat embolism (CFE) ranges from 0.9-11%, with a mean mortality rate of around 10%. Although no univocal explanation has been identified for the resulting fat embolism syndrome (FES), two hypotheses are widely thought: the 'mechanical theory', and the 'chemical theory'. The present article provides a systematic review of published case reports of FES following a bone fracture.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus to find any article related to FES. Inclusion criteria were: trauma patients; age ≥ 18 years; and the clinical diagnosis of CFE or FES. Studies were excluded if the bone fracture site was not specified.

Results

One hundred and seventy studies were included (268 cases). The male gender was most prominent (81

SUBMITTER: Vetrugno L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7953582 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature