Re-expansion pulmonary oedema an elusive entity

Abstract

Re-expansion pulmonary oedema (REPO) is associated with a variety of clinical disorders including chest tube drainage of pneumothorax. It is an uncommon complication with varied presentation. Patient may be mildly symptomatic or may present with life threatening complication requiring immediate treatment. The mechanism and management of REPO differs from that of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema. We present two patients, one with life threatening REPO and other with no symptoms, detected on chest radiograph. Pathogenesis, management and prevention is discussed along with review of literature.