Schiffahrtmedizinisches Institut der Marine, Kiel-Kronshagen.
Arterial gas embolism due to pulmonary barotrauma (PBT) is a well known fatal complication in compressed air diving. Pulmonary damage is often missed in conventional diagnostic radiology. We present two cases of PBT in recreational divers, in which pre and post accidental chest x-rays were negative but chest-CT showed peripheral bullae in the lower lung lobes preferably responsible for PBT, Chest-CT is recommended in any case of suspected PBT to evaluate the possibility of preexisting pathology in order to predict further diving fitness.