Abstract
A 69-year-old woman was pointed out to have a nodule in the right upper lung field by chest X-ray. Chest computed tomography (CT) reveled that the patient had a nodule with a 1 cm diameter in the right S3 segment. Immediately after CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy, the patient lost consciousness with shock. After resuscitation, brain CT demonstrated multiple intravascular air bubbles in the right parietal lobe, resulting in left hemiplegia. Within 1 hour after onset, hyperbaric oxygen therapy was started. After the first treatment, air bubbles clearly decreased and the consciousness level improved. After 7 episodes of treatment (performed once every day), left hemiplesia recovered with slight motor disorder in the left fingers. Air embolism is a very rare complication in CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy. However, as this complication is fatal, rapid diagnosis and treatment are necessary.
