Unilateral pulmonary edema

Unilateral pulmonary edema represents only 2% of cardiogenic pulmonary edema with predilection for the right upper lobe and is strongly associated with severe mitral regurgitation ^1,2. It is hypothesized that the regurgitation jet is directed towards the right superior pulmonary vein thus preferentially increasing the hydrostatic pressure in the right upper lobe ³.  

Pathology

Etiology

Unilateral edema with ipsilateral pathology ⁴:

• severe mitral valve regurgitation
• patient positioning
• re-expansion pulmonary edema
• pulmonary vein occlusion
• congenital or surgical right-to-left shunt (e.g. Blalock-Taussig shunt)

Unilateral edema with perfusion abnormality in the contralateral lung ⁴:

• unilateral pulmonary embolism
• unilateral hypoplasia of pulmonary artery
• Swyer-James syndrome
• unilateral emphysema/bullae

See also

• pulmonary edema