ABSTRACT

A forty year old woman, 72 hours after liposuction, complained of sudden dyspnea, fever and tachycardia. Thoracic radiography and duplex-scan of deep veins were normal. Pulmonary scintigraphy suggested thromboembolism. The patient had hypoxia, anemia and mental confusion after three days of systemic heparin. Once fat embolism syndrome was suspected, heparin infusion was stopped and corticosteroid therapy was started. After that, the patient was much better and discharged from hospital.

Keywords: Fat embolism syndrome. Pulmonary thromboembolism. Liposuction.

RESUMO

Mulher, 40 anos, 72 horas após lipossucção apresentou dispnéia súbita, febre, taquipnéia e taquicardia. Radiografia torácica e eco-doppler de membros inferiores eram normais, mas hipoperfusão pulmonar à cintilografia sugeriu tromboembolismo pulmonar. Após três dias de heparinização, observou-se hipóxia, anemia e confusão mental. Diagnosticou-se síndrome de embolia gordurosa, suspendeu-se heparinização e iniciou-se pulsoterapia com corticóide, seguida de melhora clínica e alta hospitalar.

Palavras-chave: Síndrome de embolia gordurosa. Tromboembolismo pulmonar. Lipoaspiração.

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