Presentation
Shortness of breath one day after a "Brazilian Butt Lift" procedure.
Patient Data
Bilateral perihilar consolidation, right worse than left. Subcutaneous emphysema, both flanks.
No pulmonary embolism, bilateral perihilar ground-glass opacity and consolidation right worse than left. Air and patchy increased density of subcutaneous tissues of the upper abdominal and lower chest walls.
Case Discussion
In a "Brazilian Butt Lift" procedure, fat is liposuctioned from the flanks, abdomen, and lower back, then injected into the buttocks. Fat injected into a vein may embolize to the lungs and cause fat embolism syndrome. Macroscopic fat is rarely detectable in the pulmonary arteries: most often, patients will have ground glass opacity and consolidation and present with shortness of breath as in this case. Fat may also embolize to the brain and skin, resulting in CNS symptoms such as confusion and petechiae.
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