Acute Unilateral Pulmonary Edema in Non-Cardiac Settings

Abstract

Unilateral pulmonary edema is an uncommon manifestation of pulmonary edema. We report a case of unilateral pulmonary edema in a 45-year-old woman with chronic kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes who presented after a motor vehicle collision and was down with the left lung in dependent position. She was found to have a left lung infiltrate on the chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Resolution of radiological findings after hemodialysis pointed toward pulmonary edema. The patient did not have any pre-existing parenchymal lung abnormality; therefore the cause of pulmonary edema was ascribed to dependent position.




J Med Cases. 2014;5(7):417-419
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1808w