Posttraumatic anomalous pulmonary edema

Focal pulmonary edema from increased venous hydrostatic pressure is most commonly seen in mitral valve regurgitation (in the right upper lobe) or in pulmonary venous obstruction/compression from neoplastic, fibrotic, or iatrogenic causes (in any lobe). We describe a case of focal pulmonary edema of the left upper lobe in a patient with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return of the left superior pulmonary vein, where the draining left brachiocephalic vein was compressed by a subluxed sternoclavicular joint after trauma. In this case, recognition of the focal edema and anomalous pulmonary vein allowed for a diagnosis of clavicular subluxation.