Fatal re-expansion pulmonary edema in a young adult following tube thoracostomy for spontaneous pneumothorax.

Re-expansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is a rare but potentially fatal complication that can occur following rapid lung expansion while managing patients with pleural effusion or pneumothorax. In this case, fatal outcome occurred due to RPE in a previously healthy young adult male patient subsequent to tube thoracostomy for spontaneous pneumothorax. While managing patients with pneumothorax or large pleural effusions, precautions should be taken to avoid rapid re-expansion of the previously collapsed lung in order to reduce the probability of development of this complication.