ABSTRACT
The radiological picture depends on a number of factors. Bjure and Laurell noted that patients had narrower blood vessels in the upper parts of their lungs when they were erect, a difference that disappeared on lying down, which they termed 'orthostatic apical anaemia'. Dilatation affects arteries as well as veins, and is due to opening up of the normally partially shut-down upper lobe circulation resulting from our mainly upright stance. Milne and Pistolesi criticised Rocker et al. for some of their scoring and argued the case for 'central oedema with perivascular cuffing.' Septic shock causes severe pulmonary oedema and has a high mortality. Re-expansion and re-perfusion pulmonary oedema, after rapid removal of a large pleural effusion or a pneumothorax, may be life-threatening.
