Hydrostatic pulmonary edema: high-resolution computed tomography aspects.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to use high-resolution computed tomography scans of the chest to characterize the principal alterations occurring in cases of hydrostatic pulmonary edema.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was made of the tomography scans of 15 patients presenting clinical profiles of hydrostatic pulmonary edema. The cases were divided into five groups by etiology: congestive heart failure (n = 7); acute mitral valve disease (n = 2); acute myocardial infarction (n = 2); myocarditis (n = 2); and fibrosing mediastinitis (n = 2).


RESULTS
The principal findings in the cases of hydrostatic pulmonary edema were ground-glass opacities (in 100%), interlobular septal thickening (in 100%), pleural effusion (in 87%) and peribronchovascular interstitial thickening (in 80%). Other, less common, findings were increased blood vessel diameter, consolidations and air-space nodules.


CONCLUSIONS
The predominant pattern found in the patients studied was that of ground-glass opacities accompanied by interlobular septal thickening (mosaic attenuation pattern) and bilateral (predominantly right-sided) pleural effusion.
Ribeiro
Cláudia Maria Cunha
CM
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Marchiori
Edson
E
Rodrigues
Rosana
R
Gasparetto
Emerson
E
Souza
Arthur Soares
AS
Escuissato
Dante
D
Nobre
Luiz Felipe
LF
Zanetti
Gláucia
G
de Araujo Neto
César
C
Irion
Klaus
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*