Presentation
Dyspnea, poor appetite, fatigue and lethargy. Pleural effusion treated by chest drain.
Patient Data
Large right hydropneumothorax.
The intercostal chest drainage tube within the right pleural cavity.
The right lung is profoundly collapsed.
Case Discussion
Hydropneumothorax is an abnormal presence of gas and fluid in the pleural space 1. It appears as a gas-fluid level on radiograph 2.
This can occur when air is accidentally introduced into the pleural space during procedures such as the drainage of a pleural effusion 3,4.
Another possible cause is a bronchopleural fistula due to ruptured lung abscess or other pulmonary pathology that breaks through the lung tissue and allows both gas and fluid to escape into the pleural space 5.
Additional causes might include trauma to the chest, which can cause both blood (hemothorax) and gas (pneumothorax) to enter the pleural space, or certain lung diseases that produce both fluid accumulation due to inflammation and gas leaks due to the breakdown of lung tissue 6. Infections such as tuberculosis or pneumonia can also cause hydropneumothorax 7,8,9.
In this case, hydropneumothorax is caused by an iatrogenic cause after the introduction of a chest tube.
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.