Jersey Sean L, Baril Robert T, McCarty Richmond D, Millhouse Christina M
99th Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, CA 95903, USA.
Aviat Space Environ Med. 2010 Jan;81(1):64-8. doi: 10.3357/asem.2303.2010.
Severe neurological decompression sickness (DCS) has been a rare entity in the U.S. Air Force, including the U-2 community. In over 50 yr of operation, few U-2 pilots reported severe neurological DCS in flight despite the extreme altitudes at which they operate. This article describes a near-fatal case of neurological DCS that occurred during a combat mission. The injury left the pilot with permanent cognitive deficits that correlated with focal lesions present on magnetic resonance imaging of his brain. To our knowledge, the images presented herein are the first to show radiological evidence of brain injury induced by altitude DCS. Though only a single case, the objective and clinical findings in the case pilot are similar to results documented in divers suffering DCS with central nervous system injury and victims of traumatic brain injury. DCS will remain a potentially serious threat to current and future air and space operations.
严重神经型减压病（DCS）在美国空军中一直较为罕见，包括U-2机群。在超过50年的飞行作业中，尽管U-2飞行员在极高的高度飞行，但很少有飞行员报告在飞行中出现严重神经型DCS。本文描述了一例在战斗任务期间发生的近乎致命的神经型DCS病例。此次损伤使飞行员留下了永久性认知缺陷，这与他脑部磁共振成像上出现的局灶性病变相关。据我们所知，本文呈现的图像首次显示了高空DCS所致脑损伤的放射学证据。尽管只是单个病例，但该病例飞行员的客观检查结果和临床表现与记录在案的患有中枢神经系统损伤的减压病潜水员以及创伤性脑损伤受害者的结果相似。DCS将仍然是当前及未来航空航天作业的潜在严重威胁。
