Table 1.
Reported cases on air embolism complicated endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
| Case | Ref. | Age/sex | Risk factor(s) | Diagnosis | Outcome |
| 1 | Bisceglia et al[7] | 78/male | Surgical gastroduodenal resection | Pulmonary air embolism | Dead |
| 2 | Rabe et al[12] | 87/male | Metal stent placement | Cerebral air embolism | Survived |
| 3 | Rabe et al[12] | 54/male | Billroth II operation, Metal stent placement | Cardiac air embolism | Dead |
| 4 | Jow et al[38] | 65/male | Biliary duct stones/inflammation | Cardiac air embolism | Dead |
| 5 | Maccarone et al[1] | 45/male | Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage | Cerebral air embolism | Survived |
| 6 | Siddiqui et al[37] | 43/female | Biliary sphincterotomy, liver biopsy | Venous air embolism | Dead |
| 7 | Nayagam et al[39] | 57/male | - | Cerebral air embolism | Dead |
| 8 | Kennedy et al[8] | 63/female | Biliary sphincterotomy | Venous air embolism | Dead |
| 9 | Stabile et al[6] | 65/male | Biliary sphincterotomy, PTC | Cerebral air embolism | Dead |
| 10 | Mohammedi et al[4] | 27/male | Biliary sphincterotomy, blunt hepatic trauma | Cardiac air embolism | Survived |
| 11 | Romberg[40] | 53/male | Biliary duct stones | Cardiac air embolism | Survived |
| 12 | Rangappa et al[41] | 50/female | Biliary duct stones | Cerebral air embolism | Dead |
| 13 | Bechi et al[33] | 79/female | Biliary sphincterotomy | Cerebral air embolism | Survived |
| 14 | Goins et al[16] | 72/female | Cholangiocarcinoma | Cerebral air embolism | Survived |
| 15 | Cha et al[42] | 50/female | Biliary duct stones, liver abscesses, choledochoduodenostomy | Cardiac air embolism | Dead |
| 16 | Di Pisa et al[13] | 8/male | Splenomesenteric portal shunt | Venous air embolism | Survived |
| 17 | Giuly et al[43] | 60/female | Biliary sphincterotomy, choledochal varices | Venous air embolism | Survived |
| 18 | van Boxel et al[44] | 82/male | - | Cerebral air embolism | Survived |
| 19 | Tan et al[45] | 82/female | Metal stent placement | Cerebral air embolism | Dead |
| 20 | Nern et al[46] | 58/female | Cholangiocarcinoma | Cerebral air embolism | Dead |
| 21 | Simmons[47] | Not available | Biliary sphincterotomy | Venous air embolism | Survived |
| 22 | Merine et al[48] | 39/female | Biliary sphincterotomy | Venous air embolism | Survived |
| 23 | Barthet et al[49] | 31/male | Biliary sphincterotomy | Venous air embolism | Survived |
| 24 | Efthymiou et al[11] | 62/female | Cholangioscopy | Cerebral air embolism | Survived |
| 25 | Our case[50] | 66/male | Metal stent placement | Cerebral air embolism | Dead |
| 26 | Our case[50] | 51/female | Status post Whipple’s operation | Spinal air embolism | Survived |
PTC: Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography.