Reexpansion pulmonary edema following tube thoracostomy for spontaneous pneumothorax in an elderly male

Reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is an important cause of unilateral pulmonary edema that rarely occurs following drainage of pleural effusion or pneumothorax. Most patients develop symptoms within an hour of lung expansion. The presentation is usually rapid and dramatic and may be fatal at times. The duration of lung collapse more than 3 days, large-size pneumothorax, rapidity of lung expansion, and application of negative pleural suction are well-known risk factors for the development of RPE. We present here an elderly male with diabetes mellitus who presented with a large pneumothorax and developed RPE shortly after insertion of a chest tube.