• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.806-814
• /
• 1997

The incidence, type and distribution of polyneuropathy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were assessed and also analyzed the causative factors. Forty-four patients, mean age 66.1 years (42 male, 2 female), have been investigated with arterial gas analysis, pulmonary function test, clinical and electrodiagnostic studies. None of them had conditions known to affect the peripheral nervous system such as metabolic disorders or drugs. In a selected group of 44 patients, electrophysiological findings of polyneuropathy were found in 22 patients(50%), clinical polyneuropathy were diagnosed in 13 patients(9 patients were diagnosed by electrophysiological studies, 4 patients were normal by electrophysiological studies). These findings indicate that subclinical polyneuropathy(13 patients, 30%) more commonly occurs than clinical polyneuropathy(9 patients, 20%) in associated with COPD. In the patients with polyneuropathy, the lesions were predominant axonal degeneration, the changes were more involved in leg than arm, more frequently affected sensory fibers. We could not find etiologic factor to cause polyneuropathy in COPD patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.693-703
• /
• 2001

Background : Smoking is the most important and consistent determinant of the development and progression of COPD(Ed Note : Define COPD). The fact that cigarette smokers develop a different type of COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, with different clinical and pathological aspects, suggests that the development of COPD has a relationship with other smoking-associated factors beyond just a simple smoking history. The aim of this was to analyze the smoking habits and history of patients with COPD and to evaluate the development of different types of COPD according to patient's smoking habits. Method : To evaluate the differences in the smoking patterns of patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pulmonary function test was conducted, and the smoking history and patterns was obtained through a smoking history questionnaire by a direct personal interview from 333 male cigarette smokers diagnosed with COPD, in the Yeungnam university medical center(190 patients diagnosed with chronic bronchitis, 143 patients diagnosed with emphysema). Result : The patients with emphysema smoked earlier and had a higher smoking history(ie, more packyears, more total amounts of smoked cigarette, and more deep inhalation and longer duration of plain cigarette exposure) than those with chronic bronchitis. The depth of inhalation was also significantly higher in the emphysema patients after taking into account age, cumulative cigarette consumption and the type of cigarette smoked. Conclusion : Emphysema was more associated with the increasing degree of inhalation as assessed by the depth of inhalation. A high alveolar smoke exposure may be a significant risk factor for the development of emphysema.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.271-279
• /
• 1998

Background: Diagnosis by direct microscopy and/or by culture of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis from body fluids or biopsy specimens is "Gold standard". However, the sensitivity of direct microscopy after Ziehl-Neelsen staining is relatively low and culture of mycobacteria is time consuming. Detection of mycobacterial DNA in clinical samples by the polymerase chain reaction is highly sensitive but laborious and expensive. Therefore, rapid, sensitive and readily applicable new tests need to be developed. So we had evaluated the clinical significance of serologic detection of antibody to 38 kDa antigen, which is known as the most specific to the M. tuberculosis complex, and culture filtrate antigen by ELISA in sputum AFB smear negative patients. Method: In this study, culture tests for acid fast bacilli with sputa or bronchial washing fluids of 183 consecutive patients who were negative of sputum AFB smear were performed. Simultaneously serum antibodies to 38 kDa antigen and unheated culture filtrate of M. tuberculosis were detected by an ELISA method. Results: The optical densities of ELISA test with 38 kDa and culture filtrate antigen were significantly higher in active pulmonary tuberculosis cases than in non tuberculous pulmonary diseases (p<0.05), but in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, those of the sputum culture positive patients for M. tuberculosis were not significantly different from those of the sputum culture negative cases(p>0.05). In the smear-negative active pulmonary tuberculosis patients, the sensitivity of the ELISA using 38 kDa antigen and culture filtrate was 20.0% and 31.4%. respectively. The specificity was 95.3% and 93.9%. respectively. Conclusion : In active pulmonary tuberculosis but smear negative, the serologic detection of antibody to 38 kDa antigen and culture filtrate by ELISA cannot substitute traditional diagnostic tests and does not have clinically significant role to differenciate the patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis from other with non-tuberculous pulmonary diseases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.234-241
• /
• 2004

Background : There has been a gradual increase in the number of newly diagnosed cases of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) pulmonary disease. However, the optimal therapeutic regimen for the disease has not yet established and there is no report about the treatment outcome of MAC pulmonary disease in Korea. This study examined the effect of clarithromycin-based regimen in patients with pulmonary MAC disease without a HIV infection. Materials and Methods : Fifty-six patients with pulmonary MAC disease were diagnosed according to the American Thoracic Society criteria from January 2000 to December 2003 at this hospital. Of these patients, 15 were treated with clarithromycin, rifampin, and ethambutol for more than 6 months, together with streptomycin initially (first 6 months) in 8 patients. Results : Six months after the treatment, the sputum cultures converted from positive to negative in 8 patients (53%) and the radiological findings improved in 10 (67%). At 12 months 4 patients (44%) achieved sputum negative conversion and 6 patients out of 9 patients (67%) who were treated for more than 12 months showed radiological improvement. Overall, the sputum findings converted to negative in nine patients (60%) who underwent medical treatment. A pulmonary resection was successfully performed in one patient. Only one patient discontinued the treatment due to side effects such as gastrointestinal intolerance and optic neuritis. Conclusion : A combined regimen containing clarithromycin is relatively safe and tolerable even in the elderly outpatients. However, the results of this combined chemotherapy were unsatisfactory and new companion drugs for MAC pulmonary disease are needed. A resection may be considered for localized disease.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.244-250
• /
• 2014

Recently, the Diabetes Mellitus is the major cause of death in Korea. According to the results of v 2011, 34% of adult(over 19 years) are diagnosed as a DM and 21.5% of the aging(over 65 years) are also DM. So in this study, we find out the status of DM prevalence among old people and related factors. Using the results, we will suggest several ways to prevent DM. We use Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(2006, version1.2)that those diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus. We carried out X2 test and Binary Logistic Regression by IBM SPSS 19. 65~79 ages (p=0.006, OR=1.482), Urban people (p=0.008, OR=1.366), People diagnosed with Hypertension (p<0.001, OR=1.237), have high probability of Diabetes Mellitus. However, Subjective health condition(good) (p=0.005, OR=0.648), Subjective health condition(normal) (p<0.001, OR=0.335), and People diagnosed with Chronic lung disease (p=0.002, OR=0.778) have low probability of diabetes. Based on the study results, politic proposals were disccused.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.171-178
• /
• 1998

K14 patient with chronic dyspnea, who is senile female, early had suffered from radical mastectomy, radiotherapy, autoplastic transplantation, and knee arthritis. Abnormalities of cardiopulmonary function such as obesita, hypertension, mild left ventricular hypertrophy, and chronic pulmonary disease were found from K14 patient's clinical datas, which based on medical history and diagnosis, as well as evaluation of blood pressure, obesity, clinical diagnosis, chest PA, electrocardiogram, ultrasonocardiograph, and spirometery test. Diagnostic results were exactly analyzed, also long-term cares of K14 patient were discussed with related to the clinical literatures.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.64 no.5
• /
• pp.387-391
• /
• 2008

Bronchopulmonary infections caused by trichomonads have been reported principally in patients with pre-existing pulmonary diseases, such as bronchial carcinoma, lung abscess, or bronchiectasis. Pulmonary trichomoniasis is most often caused by Trichomonas tenax, which is usually regarded as a harmless commensal organism of the human mouth. However, pulmonary infection may rarely be caused by other trichomonas species, including Trichomonas vaginalis from the genitourinary tract and Trichomonas hominis from the intestines. Because of the rarity of trichomonas pulmonary infection, and because of its close association with underlying lung and systemic disease, pulmonary trichomoniasis is considered an opportunistic infection. We recently treated a case of pulmonary trichomoniasis occurring in a young, healthy male without obvious underlying pulmonary or systemic illness. To our knowledge, there has been only one reported case of pulmonary trichomoniasis in Korea, and there have been only two reported cases of pulmonary trichomoniasis occurring in normal lung worldwide.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.103-109
• /
• 1999

Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease has been described among current or former smokers and has features consistent with interstitial lung disease. Symptoms include cough, dyspnea on exertion. Lung pathology is characterized by the accumulation of pigmented macrophages within respiratory bronchioles and adjacent air spaces associated with mild thickening of the peribronchiolar interstitium. It must be separated from the other interstitial lung disease because of marked differences in treatment and prognosis. Recently we experienced a case of respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease in a 48-year-old man. As far as we know, this is the first case in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.192-199
• /
• 1994

Diffuse pahbronchiolitis(DPB) is a relatively new, chronic, nonspecific, inflammatory disease of the lung that typically involves the airways in the "transitional" zone of the lung. Clinically, DPB strongly resembles chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the distinction between the two is crucial because the former is often fatal, requiring different therapeutic strategies. This study was prospectively carried out to assess diagnostic usefulness of radioaerosol scan(RAS) in DPB. RAS findings were analyzed with respect to the location and extent of abnormal aerosol deposition in the lung divided into the central, intermediary, and transitional airways and the peripheral airspaces. RAS showed mottled aerosol deposits characteristically in the transitional and intermediary airways with peripheral airspace defects. Such a deposition pattern contrasted sharply with central aerosol deposition of COPD. In conclusion, RAS appears to be a convenient, noninvasive, and useful diagnostic method of DPB.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.58 no.3
• /
• pp.248-256
• /
• 2005

Background : Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are increasingly being recognized as a cause of chronic pulmonary disease. This study describes the prevalence of NTM species from clinical specimens and the clinical characteristics of NTM pulmonary disease. Material and Methods : The NTM isolated from March 2003 to December 2003 at the Kosin Medical Center were identified using an oligonucleotide chip containing the internal transcribed space (ITS) sequence. The medical records of the patients with the NTM isolates, who fulfilled the 1997 ATS diagnostic criteria for NTM pulmonary disease, were analyzed, retrospectively. Results : Twenty four species (24.2%) of NTM were isolated from 99 cultured AFB specimens. M. avium complex (MAC) (13 isolates), M. szulgai (3), M. kansasii (2), M. malmoense (2), M. abscessus (1), M. chelonae (1), M. scrofulaceum (1), and unclassified (1). Of the 23 patients with isolated NTM, 11 patients were found to be compatible with a NTM pulmonary infection according to the ATS criteria; MAC was found in 6 cases (54.5%), M. szulgai in 2 cases (18.2%), and M. abscessus, M. szulgai, M. kansasii and M. malmoense in 1 case each (9.1%). Ten patients (91%) were male and the median age at diagnosis was 61 years. In the pre-existing diseases, malignant disease was found in 6 cases including 5 patients with lung cancer, and history of old pulmonary tuberculosis was identified in 4 cases. The radiological patterns showed lung destruction lung in 3 cases, a cavitary mass in 3 cases, a nodular pattern in 2 cases, and reticulonodular, consolidation and a bronchiectasis pattern were in 1 case each. Conclusion : Various types of NTM pulmonary diseases were found in a tertiary hospital at Busan, Korea. The NTM pulmonary diseases were caused by MAC, M. szugai, M. kansasii, M. malmoense, M. abscessus, M. chelonae, and M. scrofulaceum in the order of frequency.