Paradoxical cerebral embolism caused by pulmonary arteriovenous fistula: a case report

A young female patient with paradoxical cerebral embolism caused by pulmonary arteriovenous fistula, mainly presented the right limbs asthenia, and brain magnetic resonance imaging examination showed multiple acute cerebral infarctions in the left hemisphere, which belongs to left middle cerebral artery and left posterior cerebral artery blood areas. After excluding the common risk factors of cerebrovascular disease, foaming test suggested the right-to-left shunt. The esophageal ultrasound examination excluded the patent foramen ovala. The lung CT angiography examination confirmed the intracranial embolism caused by pulmonary arteriovenous fistula. There was no recurrence of ischemic stroke after the patient was treated with pulmonary arteriovenous fistula embolization. Key words: Arteriovenous fistula; Lung; Intracranial embolism; Embolism, paradoxical