Vertebral Venous Air Embolism: An Unusual Complication Following Colonoscopy

Although fiberoptic colonoscopy has gained wide popularityas a diagnostic and therapeutic tool, there remains aninherent complication rate following colonoscopic evaluation.Endoscopically induced bowel perforation and uncontrolledbleeding often necessitate immediate surgical intervention.Another often-unrecognized complication is theintroduction of air into the vertebral venous system. A caseof vertebral venous air embolism after routine diagnosticcolonoscopy is reported with a review of current literature.