Introduction: Lymphedema can arise due to disruption of the normal lymphatic circulation by surgery. We present a patient who had pulmonary lymphedema after thoracoscopic right lower lobe lobectomy and mediastinal nodal dissection for lung cancer.
Case Report: A 72-year-old male presented with dyspnea two days after thoracoscopic right lower lobe lobectomy and mediastinal nodal dissection for lung cancer. Postoperative pulmonary lymphedema was diagnosed because of the transition of pulmonary shadow in two computed tomography scans obtained in different body positions. He was given oxygen till the fourth postoperative day, and the abnormal shadow gradually disappeared. He was discharged on the 14th postoperative day.
Conclusion: Postoperative pulmonary lymphedema presents radiological findings of enlargement of interstitial shadow with ground-glass attenuation and consolidation, which resemble life-threatening complications including acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome, interstitial pneumonia, and heart failure. The shadow transition between two computed tomography images obtained in different body positions is considered to be useful to diagnose postoperative pulmonary lymphedema.