SynthesisScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2021
Cerebral fat embolism after traumatic bone fractures: a structured literature review and analysis of published case reports.
Synthesis in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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18 citing papers in PubMed, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cerebral fat embolism treated with mechanical embolectomy: case report and systematic review of the literature.BJR case reports · 2026Article
- Neurologically predominant fat embolism syndrome in an octogenarian with dementia: diagnostic challenges and prolonged recovery.BMC neurology · 2026Article
- Atypical cerebral fat embolism syndrome in an elderly patient with comorbidities following fracture: A case report.Medicine · 2026Article
- Fulminant cerebral fat embolism syndrome initially sparing the lungs after long-bone fractures: a case report of refractory status epilepticus.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Sudden neurological decline after trauma: cerebral fat embolism unveiled.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2025Article
- Severe Traumatic Cerebral Fat Embolism Following Pelvic Fracture: A Case Report and Literature Review.Korean journal of neurotrauma · 2025Article
- Pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and prognostic insights of cerebral fat embolism: a literature review.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Review
- Cerebral Fat Embolism After Traumatic Long-Bone Fracture: A Case Report.Clinical case reports · 2024Article
- Cerebral fat emboli in a patient with paraplegia caused by bilateral femur fractures.BMJ case reports · 2024Article
- Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity Syndrome in the Setting of Fat Emboli Syndrome Secondary to Polytrauma.Case reports in critical care · 2024Article
- Cerebral Fat Embolism Syndrome in a Patient With an Aortic Dissection and Orthopedic Injuries: A Case Report.Cureus · 2023Article
- Isolated Cerebral Fat Embolism Syndrome in a Polytrauma Patient with Complete Recovery - A Case Report.Journal of orthopaedic case reports · 2022Article
- Fat embolism syndrome in a patient that sustained a femoral neck fracture: A case report.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Fat Embolism Syndrome and in-Hospital Mortality Rates According to Patient Age: A Large Nationwide Retrospective Study.Clinical epidemiology · 2022Article
- Intraosseous fluid resuscitation causes systemic fat emboli in a porcine hemorrhagic shock model.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2021Article
- Early acute fat embolism syndrome caused by femoral fracture: A case report.World journal of clinical cases · 2021Article
- Preoperative vena cava filter placement in recurrent cerebral fat embolism following traumatic multiple fractures.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2021Article
- Femoral Nailing in a Porcine Model Causes Bone Marrow Emboli in the Lungs and Systemic Emboli in the Heart and Brain.JB & JS open accessArticle
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14 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe 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.
methodsWe 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.
resultsOne hundred and seventy studies were included (268 cases). The male gender was most prominent (81.6% vs. 18.4%). The average age was 33 years (±18). The mean age for males (29 ± 14) was significantly lower than for females (51 ± 26) (p < 0.001). The femur was the most common fracture site (71% of cases). PFO was found in 12% of all cases. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed the male gender to be a risk factor for FES: RR 1.87 and 1.41, respectively (95%CI 1.27-2.48, p < 0.001; 95%CI 0.48-2.34, p < 0.001).
conclusionsFES is most frequent in young men in the third decades of life following multiple leg fractures. FES may be more frequent after a burst fracture. The presence of PFO may be responsible for the acute presentation of cerebral embolisms, whereas FES is mostly delayed by 48-72 h.
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