Korean J Crit Care Med.  2010 Sep;25(3):159-162. 10.4266/kjccm.2010.25.3.159.

Reexpansion Pulmonary Edema Following the Early Decompression of Pneumothorax Occurred after Anesthetic Induction in a Patient with Lung Bulla: A Case Report

• Jeung HJ
• Lee HJ
• Kim SJ
• Kwak SH

• KMID: 2228200
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2010.25.3.159

Abstract

When a rapidly re-expanding lung has been in a state of collapse for more than several days, pulmonary edema sometimes occurs. This is called reexpansion pulmonary edema. In general, it most commonly occurs in patients with a large pneumothorax of long duration. In this case, a 15 year old female patient with a 2.3 cm sized bulla in the right lung developed right pneumothorax after anesthetic induction. Although early drainage by closed thoracostomy was performed, right pulmonary edema eventually occurred. It is unusual that vigorous reexpansion pulmonary edema developed even though early decompression was performed within one hour after development of pneumothorax.

Keyword

bulla; decompression; pneumothorax; pulmonary edema; reexpansion

MeSH Terms

Blister
Decompression
Drainage
Female
Humans
Lung
Pneumothorax
Pulmonary Edema
Thoracostomy