Acute Hemiplegia Caused by a Retrograde Cerebral Venous Air Embolism After Central Venous Catheter Removal: an Illustrative Case

Central venous catheters are widely used in clinical practice. Air embolism is a rare, but potentially life threatening complication of central venous catheterisation. We describe a case of collapse and transient hemiplegia after removal of central venous catheter. This was accidentally performed with the patient in upright position. A CT scan of the brain demonstrated air in the sinus cavernosus bilaterally and at the posterior wall of the foramen magnum.