Fulminant unilateral pulmonary edema after insertion of a chest tube: a complication after a primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Introduction: The insertion of a chest tube in cases of large pleural effusion or spontaneous pneumothorax is a common surgical procedure often performed by a physician in training under the supervision of a senior physician.

Case Presentation: The authors report the case of a 35-year-old man with a persistent, complete spontaneous pneumothorax of approximately 30 hours' duration. Within 90 minutes after insertion of a chest tube, he developed severe unilateral pulmonary edema and required mechanical ventilation.