[Asphyxiating intra-alveolar hemorrhage: a rare form of fat embolism syndrome].

We report a case of a 23-year-old patient admitted for a right femur fracture resulting from a traffic accident. An intra-alveolar haemorrhage occurred 48 hours later, with asphyxia anaemia, haematic bronchial aspirations, and bilateral alveolar opacities at chest X-ray. This symptomatology was associated with fever, sub-conjunctival petechiae, major hypocholesterolemia, deterioration of renal function, and cholestasis. All these features suggested a fat embolism. Other possible aetiologies were discarded because of normal cardiovascular and immunologic systems and absence of infection. The outcome under symptomatic treatment was satisfactory within 15 days. The occurrence of intra-alveolar haemorrhage in post-traumatic fat embolism is a rare event caused by pulmonary capillary obstruction by fat emboli.