Unilateral pulmonary oedema

Unilateral pulmonary oedema represents only 2% of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema with predilection for the right upper lobe and is strongly associated with severe mitral regurgitation ^{1, 2}. It is hypothesised 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

Aetiology

Unilateral oedema with ipsilateral pathology ⁴:

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

Unilateral oedema 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 oedema