Reexpansion pulmonary edema following a posttraumatic pneumothorax: a case report and review of the literature

The reexpansion pulmonary edema is a rare, but life threatening complication of a pneumothorax. Early recognition and a fast symptom orientated therapy are necessary for a good outcome. Several cases after non traumatic pneumothoraces are reported. We describe a patient who presented with a post-traumatic right pneumothorax. After the insertion of a chest tube he developed a reexpansion pulmonary edema, which had to be treated by an intubation. Additionally, a review of the literature regarding case reports of reexpansion pulmonary edema is presented.