An 81-year-old man, with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis presented with coma after coughing associated to haemoptysis. The CT-scan revealed several scattered gas bubbles, while the thoracic scan disclosed an old tubercular parenchymatous cave. In spite of several sessions of hyperbaric oxygen treatment, the patient died with multivisceral organ failure. This case report reviews the pathophysiology of gas embolism due to coughing.