• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.201-210
• /
• 2001

Background : Approximately 10-13% of patients with interstitial lung disease(ILD) die of lung cancer, and patients with ILD have been reported to have a 7 fold higher incidence of lung cancer compared to the normal population. Recently, overexpression of the p53 and p21 proteins were observed in the epithelial cells from pathologic specimens of ILD. Overexpression of these proteins may result from chronic or recurrent DNA damage by unknown causes of inflammation. However, these proteins may also contribute to oncogenesis if other genetic alterations such as K-ras are superimposed. Methods : Immunohistochemical stains for p53 and K-ras proteins were performed with pathologic specimens from 38 cases with ILD(M/F : 27/11, mean agea : $54{\pm}10$ years) and from 10 control subjects. Results : The p53 protein was expressed in 21.1% (8/38 ILD cases) and K-ras protein expression was observed in 65.8% (25/38 ILD cases). However, neither p53 nor the K-ras protein staining was observed in the control subjects. Conclusion : A significant proportion of cases with ILD expressed the p53 and K-ras proteins in their bronchial epithelial cells. These proteins may be potentially oncogenic with the addition of further genetic alterations. However, to clarify the significance of these findings, further studies looking for correlations with the incidence of lung cancer and other genetic changes are needed.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.46 no.12
• /
• pp.1230-1234
• /
• 2003

Purpose : The aim of this study is to evaluate the value of lung biopsies for the management of children with lung disease. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 19 lung biopsies done at Asan Medical Center, Seoul between 1993 and 2001. Data gathered included demographic information, underlying conditions, diagnosis before biopsy, final diagnosis, change in therapy, morbidity and mortality. Results : Nineteen patients underwent lung biopsy. Among them, 13 patients were male and six patients were female; the median age was 3.6 years(0.8 to 8.6 years). Twelve patients underwent open lung biopsies and seven patients had thoracoscopic biopsies. The overall diagnosis rate was 95 %. The most common diagnosis was interstitial lung disease(12 patients, 64%) and infection was detected in four patients(21%). The biopsy-proven bronchiolitis obliterance was confirmed in two of seven patients suspected by CT findings. Specific treatment was changed after biopsy in 16 patients (85%). The morbidity & overall mortality rates of the patients were 5%(one patient) and 21%(four patients) respectively. Only one complication was seen : empyema. The causes of death were acute respiratory distress syndrome(one patient), respiratory failure(two patients), and septicemia(one patient). Conclusion : The lung biopsy is a safe procedure and it contributes to more accurate diagnosis and proper management of pediatric lung diseases. We recommend lung biopsies should be considered more positively in the diagnosis of pediatric lung diseases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.309-318
• /
• 2002

Background : Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) is a fatal progressive fibrotic disorder of the lung with unknown etiology and characterized by a poor response to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. The histologic hallmark of UIP is parchy distribution of subpleural fibrosis and fibroblastic foci(FBF) with interposed normal appearing lung. Because FBF is a collection of actively proliferating myofibroblasts, it can be a marker of activity and prognosis of UIP. However, there were contradictory reports about the correlation between the degree of FBF and survival. Therefore we performed this study to investigate the value of FBF as prognostic marker of UIP. Methods : This was a retrospective study on the 46 patients(M:F=33:13, mean age:$59{\pm}12$ years) with UIP diagnosed by the surgical lung biopsy at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea between 1990 and 2000 and had follow-up of more than a year. All the biopsy specimens were reevaluated and diagnosed as UIP according to the ATS/ERS classification. Semiquantitative grading of FBF(absent, 0; mild 1; moderate 2; marked 3) by the experienced pathologists who did not know the clinical findings were compared to the clinical data and the follow up course. Results : Thirteen patients(28.2%) died of UIP progression during the study period. The median survival time of all the subjects was 26 months after the biopsy. At the univariate analysis, FVC, $D_Lco$, smoking history and the grade of FBF were significantly related to the survial. The survival was longer in subjects with lesser degrees of FBF, higher DLco, higher FVC and history of smoking. However the multivariate analysis with Cox regression test showed the extent of FBF was the only independent prognostic marker of UIP. Conclusion : These data suggested that the extent of FBF on the surgical lung biopsy can be used as a prognostic marker of UIP.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.29 no.10
• /
• pp.1138-1142
• /
• 1996

Video-assisted thoracic surgery is a new modality that allows visualization of and access to the intrathoracic organs without making a thoracotomy Incision. 52 patients underwent thoracic procedures using this technique. There were pneumothorax in 40 patients, diffuse interstital lung disease in 6 patients, hyperhidrosis in 3 patients, pulmonary tuberculoma in 1 patient, aspergilloma in 1 patient and localized fibrous tumor of pleura in 1 patient. We had performed a variety of procedures(36 wedge resections with mechanical pleurodesis, 8 wedge resections only, 4 mechanical pleurodeses, 3 bilateral sympathectomys and 1 segmentectomy). The period of chest tube indwelling and postoperative hospitalization were 2.00 $\pm$ 1.32 days(range : 0~6 days) and 3.55 $\pm$ 1.45 days(range : 1~8 days). Four postoperative complications occurred(2 pleural effusion, 1 recurrent pneumothorax and 1 high fever). Conversion to open thoracotomy was done in 1 p tient due to massive air leakage. Patients undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery seem to have reduced postoperative pain, shorter hospitalization, and quicker recovery times.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.643-648
• /
• 1998

Although clonorchiasis is one of the most common parasitic infections in Korea, it is unusual that the disease presents peripheral eosinophilia and pulmonary infiltrations.(eosinophilic pneumonia) A case of clonorchiasis manifested as diffuse nodular pulmonary infiltrations was presented. The patient had a mild to moderate pain on the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, cough, dyspnea, and unknown cause of marked eosinophilia (up to 71.4% of total white blood cell count). The causal organism, clonorchis sinensis was found by the identification of parasite ova in the stool We confirmed eosinophilic pneumonia with bronchoalveolar larvage analysis and transbronchial lung biopsy. With corticosteroid and praziquantel treatment, clinical symtoms and pulmonary infiltrations on the chest roentgenograms had rapidly improved. We report a case of eosinophilic pneumonia related to clonorchiasis and review the pertinent literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.11
• /
• pp.1014-1018
• /
• 1995

To confirm diagnosis and to set proper therapeutic strategy, open lung biopsies were done in 57 patients who were suspected for diffuse interstitial lung disease from January 1985 to December 1994. Among them, 35 were male and 22 were female[M:F=l.6: 1 and mean age of the patients is 53.5$\pm$ 2.3[24-81 years. Tissue for histologic studies were obtained from left lung in 33, from right lung in 24according to the distributions of the pathology. Preoperative diagnostic work-up`s were chest X-ray, CT[HRCT scan, sputum study, bronchoscopy[BAL, TBLB and PTNA and all of them were unsuccessful to confirm diagnosis. In comparison of pulmonary function tests between preoperative and postoperative values, there were no significant differences in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC[p 0.05 but in AaDO2[p[0.05 . Postoperative complications including atelectasis, wound infection, pulmonary edema and respiratory insnfficiency, were shown in 5 cases[8.8% , and two of them were died of respiratory failure and sepsis[mortality rate 3.5% . Pathologic diagnosis was confirmed in 53 cases postoperatively but it was undetermined in 4[diagnostic yield rate 93.0% . In comparison between preoperative clinical diagnosis and postoperative pathologic diagnosis, new diagnosis were made in 17 cases[29.8% and preoperative tentative diagnosis were confirmed histologically in 36 cases[63.2% . In 4 cases[7.0% , however, diagnoses were not confirmed after biopsies. Therapeutic plans were reset in 46 cases[80.7% in accordance with the final diagnosis.In conclusion, open lung biopsy is recommended for a specific diagnosis and proper therapeutic plan in diffuse interstitial lung diseases because of its high diagnostic yield Irate and it`s relatively low morbidity and mortality rate in these tompromised patents.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.458-460
• /
• 1996

Percutaneous transthoracic fine needle biopsy is a popular technique in the diagnosis ot'pulmonary and pleural diseases and its complication rate is very low. One of the rarest but potential complications is that of implantation of malignant cells along the needle tract and subsequent development of a chest wall mass . We experienced a case of chest wall implantation of lung cancer after percutaneous transthoracic fine needle biopsy. The patient was a 59 year old female who had undergone right upper lobectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (T,N,Mo). 6 months after operation, a loculated mass was palpated at the right posterior .chest wall where the percutaneous transthoracic fine needle biopsy had been performed before operation. We carried out wide excision of this mass and confirmed squamous cell carcinoma histopathologically.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.47 no.5
• /
• pp.681-690
• /
• 1999

The primary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue(MALT) lymphoma of the lung is a rare low grade B cell-lymphoma arising from bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue(BALT) which had been regarded as pseudolymphoma. It has the characteristic histologic findings with monoclonal B cells of centrocyte-like lymphoid cells and a lymphoepithelial lesion. Clinically it shows an indolent clinical course and much more favorable prognosis than lymphoma of other site. We report 3 cases of the pulmonary malignant lymphoma of BALT, which was confirmed by lung biopsy, immunohistochemistry and PCR assay.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.289-292
• /
• 2003

Primary malignant melanoma occurring in the lung is very rare and only few cases have been reported in the literatures. We have experienced one case of primary malignant melanoma of the right middle lobe. The patient was a 65-year-old male who had cough with blood tinged sputum for one month. Chest computed tomography showed about 4.5$\times$3 cm sized mass at the right middle lobe encasing the bronchus. Percutaneous needle biopsy was performed and confirmed to malignant melanoma. Physical examination and additional clinical history showed that the mass had not metastasized to other possible primary sites. The patient underwent thoracotomy with right middle lobe lobectomy. Histologically, the tumor showed sheets of tumor cells that have nuclear atypia and melanin pigment Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient has been followed up for 24 months with no recurrence.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.89-95
• /
• 1999

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) preceding polymyositis is rare. In this report, a 40-year-old patient with fever, chillness, generalized myalgia and progressive exertional dyspnea, had bilateral interstitial infiltrates on chest radiograph. High-Resolution CT showed subpleural and peribronchial distribution of airspace consolidation. Open lung biopsy was consistent with BOOP. Prednisolone therapy led to improvement, but during tapering of prednisolone for 3 months to 30 mg, he complained of weakness of both lower legs. One month later, prednisolone was tapered to 15 mg a day, fever. chillness and generalized myalgia were recurred. He complained of weakness of both arms. The creatine kinase (CK) with MM isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were elevated. Anti-Jo1 antibody was positive. Vastus lateralis muscle biopsy was compatible with polymyositis. After injection of methylprednisolone for 1 week, the patient became afebrile, the dyspnea resolved, the pulmonary infiltrates decreased, and the muscle strength improved. The serum CK, LDH, AST levels declined significantly. Patients with idiopathic BOOP should have follow-up for the possible development of connective tissue disorders including polymyositis.