Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema is a recently described serious complication which follows heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. The onset of symptoms is rapid, with bronchospasm, sero-hemorrhagic secretion through the airways, and arterial hypotension. Differential diagnosis with left ventricular failure is obtained from the normal or low pressures in the pulmonary circulation. This points out to an increased vascular permeability as the main ethiological agent. The authors report the occurrence of this syndrome in six patients submitted to heart operations under cardiopulmonary bypass and discuss physiopathology, diagnosis, therapy and histopathological findings in patients with lethal evolution.
pulmonary edema; extracorporeal circulation