Pulmonary Edema Following Intracranial Hemorrhage

Hemodynamic changes and samples of fluid from pulmonary edema were studied in a 50-year-old woman who developed florid pulmonary edema following intracranial hemorrhage. Marked systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension were associated with the rapid production of edema fluid that contained red blood cells, but had a lower protein content than plasma. After restoration of pulmonary vascular pressures to a normal range, the production of fluid ceased, and clinical signs of edema resolved. These findings point to the sudden increase in pulmonary microvascular pressure as the cause of pulmonary edema in this patient. Our findings contrast with those of previous reports and with speculations on the extent of a defect in permeability accounting for pulmonary edema following injury to the brain.