Severe re-expansion pulmonary edema despite incomplete re-expansion of the lung: a case report.

Background: Re-expansion pulmonary edema is a rare but potentially fatal (mortality up to 20%) complication of the rapid removal of air, fluid, or other space-occupying lesion from the pleural cavity. This case report highlights the fact that this complication is much more likely to occur when treating large, chronic pneumothoraces, and can occur even if the lung fails to fully re-expand.

Case Presentation: A 49-year-old white British man presented to the emergency department with sudden onset of shortness of breath 5 days prior to admission.