What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on a 46-year-old man who experienced a spontaneous cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) and was later found to have an undiagnosed pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
What They Found
The patient presented with an acute seizure and left-sided weakness, with brain CT showing gas emboli in the right hemisphere. A chest CT identified a 1.8-cm PAVM, and polysomnography revealed severe OSA. He received hyperbaric oxygen therapy, along with medication and procedures to occlude the PAVM and treat OSA, leading to a full recovery to his pre-event baseline seven years later.
Canadian Relevance
This study is not Canadian in origin or authorship. However, it covers cerebral arterial gas embolism, which is a form of arterial gas embolism, a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings from this study cannot be broadly applied to all patients with similar conditions.