[Cerebral fat emboli. Apropos of a case of a peroperative complication associated with the use of a bone cement in orthopedic surgery].

A case of a per-operative complication associated with the use of a bone cement in orthopaedic surgery is reported. Pathological study revealed the presence of massive fat emboli : pulmonary and cerebral. There were recent infarcts throughout the cerebral cortex, unrelated to arterial topography. The physiopathology of these unusual cerebral lesions ;n association with fat emboli is discussed. They would appear to be related to the particularly abundant and voluminous nature of the fat emboli.