Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Cerebral Fat Embolism

Abstract

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is mostly associated with long bone fractures of the lower extremities. FES typically occurs between 1 and 3 days after the trauma, and the clinical triad is hypoxia, neurologic symptoms and petechial rash (4, 5). Neurologic symptoms widely vary from confusion to coma, rarely death may occur. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most sensitive technique in the diagnosis of cerebral FES and typical findings are multipl punctate hyperintensities at subcortical and deep white matter on T2 weighted and diffusion weighted images which is called as starfield pattern.

We report a case of cerebral FES in a patient who had neurologic symptoms after traumatic femur neck facture.