Cerebral air embolism following an endoscopic variceal ligation: A case report.

Background: Cerebral air embolism (CAE) is a rare but potentially devastating complication of endoscopic procedures. Only 3 cases, to our knowledge, have been reported.
Case Presentation: A 50-year-old female patient presented with hepatitis C virus-related hepatic cirrhosis, emergency endoscopy and endoscopic variceal ligation was performed in an awakened state. CAE occurred during procedure, the patient passed away the next day in the intensive care unit.
Conclusions: CAE is a rare but potentially devastating complication in endoscopic procedures. We need more preventive tools and treatments.