Rare Imaging of Fat Embolism Seen on Computed Tomography in the Common Iliac Vein after Polytrauma

Fat embolism in the popliteal vein detected on CT: Case report and review of the literature

“…There is a single case report showing an IVC filter clearly capturing a fat embolism on CT [20] . In regard to fat emboli, Lee et al [12] described placement of a retrievable IVC filter in a patient with right common iliac vein fat embolus seen on CT. The patient developed no signs or symptoms of fat emboli, and the IVC filter was removed 17 days after placement.…”

“…Of the ten previously reported cases of fat embolism detected on CT, five exhibited pulmonary and/or neurologic symptoms, although some pulmonary symptoms or requirement for mechanical ventilation may have been related to trauma rather than fat emboli [4 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 13] . Three patients were treated with IVC filters, two of whom also underwent surgical thrombectomy [6 , 7 , 12] . It is unclear if the size, shape, or location of the fat embolism seen on CT has any correlation with subsequent development of symptoms.…”

“…It is rare, however, to encounter venous fat at the site of trauma on imaging. In our literature search we encountered only ten case reports of fat emboli in the venous system detected on computed tomography (CT) imaging to date, including one in the inferior vena cava (IVC) ( Table 1 ) [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] . Note that symptoms and signs and even imaging findings of fat emboli are often difficult to distinguish from those of concurrent trauma.…”