Snapshot A 40-year-old woman presents to the emergency room after a liposuction procedure done two days ago. She is dyspneic and found to be hypoxemic. She has difficulty speaking but notes that the shortness of breath came on suddenly. She then becomes confused and disoriented to place and time. She develops weakness on the right arm that resolves after a few hours. There is no petechial rash seen. Introduction Fat embolism syndrome results from fat emboli often associated with long bone fractures Occurs around 1-3 days after instigating event Classic triad login to view 3 more bullets ETIOLOGY Pathogenesis – not completely elucidated login to view 4 more bullets Associated conditions/risk factors login to view 5 more bullets Presentation Symptoms login to view 11 more bullets IMAGING Chest radiography typically normal MRI may show high intensity T2 signal, which indicates neurologic impairment STUDIES Biopsy if clinical diagnosis is unclear Differential Diagnosis ARDS Acute lung injury DIAGNOSIS Diagnosis by clinical history and exam Treatment Supportive care Corticosteroids may be beneficial in life-threatening cases login to view 1 more bullet Prognosis Most patients recover without any sequelae