Neurogenic pulmonary edema after trigeminal nerve blockade.

Acute neurogenic pulmonary edema developed immediately after injection of bupivacaine hydrochloride into the trigeminal cistern of a 32-year-old man with atypical facial pain and no prior history of cardiopulmonary problems. This complication of trigeminal nerve blockade has not been reported previously, to our knowledge. Associated neurologic deficits suggest a key role for the brain stem in the pathogenesis of this disorder.