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Re-expansion pulmonary edema in a patient with total pneumothorax: a hazardous outcome

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Abstract

Re-expansion pulmonary edema (REPE) is a rare complication of treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax or large pleural effusions. As a complication of spontaneous pneumothorax treatment, only few cases are documented, and even fewer document the role of non-invasive continuous positive airway pressure mechanical ventilation for treatment of this rare entity. We present a case of 23-year-old man who presented with left-sided pneumothorax, developed unilateral REPE and was treated with non-invasive continuous positive airway pressure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, 401 Military Hospital of Athens, Ave Kanellopoulou & Ave Mesogion, 11525, Athens, Greece

    Timothy Sakellaridis, Ioannis Panagiotou, Konstantinos Kaselouris & Anastasios Piyis

  2. Intensive Care Unit, 401 Military Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Athanassios Arsenoglou

Authors
  1. Timothy Sakellaridis
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  2. Ioannis Panagiotou
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  3. Athanassios Arsenoglou
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  4. Konstantinos Kaselouris
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  5. Anastasios Piyis
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Correspondence to Timothy Sakellaridis.

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Sakellaridis, T., Panagiotou, I., Arsenoglou, A. et al. Re-expansion pulmonary edema in a patient with total pneumothorax: a hazardous outcome. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 60, 614–617 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-012-0067-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-012-0067-6

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