A hydropneumothorax is the condition where there is fluid and air in the pleural space.
Possible causes of this condition include:
- iatrogenic causes e.g. air accidently introduced during the drainage of a pleural effusion
- a break in the visceral pleura e.g. a ruptured lung abscess
- a rare cause of a hydropneumothorax is an infection of the pleural space by gas-forming organisms such as Clostridium welchii
Chest radiography reveals a pneumothorax bounded below by the horizontal surface of the pleural fluid.
Last reviewed 01/2018