Pulmonary edema with acute asthma

Radiopaedia • CC-by-nc-sa 3.0 • de

Pulmonary edema with acute asthma is a rare non-cardiogenic cause of pulmonary edema.

Pathology

The air trapping which occurs in asthma results in a positive intra-alveolar pressure, thus decreasing the hydrostatic pressure gradient and may explain propensity for edema. The process may be associated with the severity of the Müller maneuver (i.e., forced inspiration as the patient struggles to inhale) .

See also