• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.271-277
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• 1992

Diffuse panbronchiollitis (DPB), a rare progressive disorder, has lately been receiving increasing attention. DPB is a disease of obscure etiology, characterized by chronic inflammation localized mainly in the region of respiratory bronchiole just distal to the terminal bronchioles. In 1983, Homma and coworkers reported 82 cases of a new clinicopathological entity, DPB, in Japan. Also DPB is a disease largely restricted geographically to Japan but the prevalence in other countries is extremely low. Histoloically, it is characterized by a suppurative bronchiolitis involving primarily the respiratory and terminal bronchioles with subsequent progression to bronchiectasis. The disease progresses rapidly and results in respiratory failure due to repeated respiratory infections. We experienced a cases of DPB accompanied with chronic maxillary sinusitis in both sinuses. Diagnosis of DPB was comfirmed by pathological results from thoracoscopic lung biopsy, typical radiological findings, clinical symptoms and pulmonary function test. After treatment with erythromycin for 6 months, the patient's condition and the typical micronodular densities on the chest radiography improved. A few case of DPB was reported in Korea. We report a case of DPB through thoracoscopic lung biopsy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2000

Paraganglioma is a tumor from the extra adrenal paraganglion system and is rarely observed in the mediastinum. The authors experienced a case of nonfunctioning paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum. The patient was 34-years-old male in whom abnormal mass lesion was nites in chest radiograph with hemoptysis. His blood pressure and serologic examination were within normal range upon admission to our hospital. Chest CT revealed a tumor in the left lower lobe. Diagnostic thoracoscopy was performed and diagnosed a posterior mediastinal mass. Surgical resection was them performed. Posterior mediastinal mass was removed successfully and histological examination of the surgical specimen diagnosed paraganglioma. He received radiotherapy after surgery and was followed up. Related literature are reviewed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.162-167
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• 1998

Between January 1976 and March 1997, six patients with delayed presentation of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia occured among the 52 patients of traumatic diaphragm rupture, of whom four males and two females, five by blunt trauma and one by stab wound, one was right side and the rest were left side. In all patients, reduction of herniated organs was accomplished by thoracotomy or thoracotomy with extension to abdomen. Suspicion of the diaphragmatic ruture from the acute traumatic chest injured patient is important and we can use the videothoracoscopy for evaluation and treatment of the traumatic diaphragm rupture

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 1993

30 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax underwent videothoracoscopic treatment between March and July 1992. The patients ranged in age from 16 years to 62 years (mean age, 30.4 years) and the incidence according to age group was highest as 50 % in the adolescence between 21 and 30 years old. The indications of the therapeutic videothoracoscopy for spontaneous pneumothorax were recurrence (30.8％), persistent air leak (30.8％), visible blebs on the chest X-ray (20.4％), tension pneumothorax (15.4％), and bilaterality (2.6％). Intraoperative scopic findings were as follows; blebs (87.1％), pleural adhesion (45.2％), and pleural effusion (22.6％). The operation was performed under general anesthesia with one lung intubation guided by flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Procedures included bleb and/or wedge resection, tetracycline pleurodesis with mechanical abrasion, and parietal pleurectomy. Successful treatment was obtained in 66.7％ (20/30) and the mean postoperative hospital stay of the successful cases was 5 days. Videothoracoscopy also provided the benefits of lesser postoperative pain, rapid recovery, short hospitalization, and smaller scar of wound by reduced trauma on access. The total 13 postoperative complications were occured in 10 patients, which showed somewhat higher rate than that of other reports because of lack of experiences in the earlier period, however, it had decreased progressively as experiences were accumulated and instruments were improved in the later period. The operative mortality was absent. Conclusively, videothoracoscopy is a new interesting modality of surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax and also can be extensively applicable in the diagnosis and treatment of other thoracic surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.6 s.263
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• pp.482-485
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• 2006

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has gained a broad acceptance for various thoracic lesions because it is the minimally invasive surgery with little tissue trauma, less pain, improved cosmetic results and short recovery time. However, there are some limitations for this method, such as restricted visual sensory information to a two-dimensional image and limited maneuverability of the tips of the instruments. To overcome these limitations, advanced technology has been introduced and the da $Vinci^{TM}$ Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc, Mountain View, CA, USA) became available in 2001. In Korea, the da $Vinci^{TM}$ Surgical System was introduced in Severance hospital (Yonsei University College of Medicine) in May 2005, and approved by KFDA in July 2005. Herein, we report the first experience of robot-assisted thoracic surgery with the da $Vinci^{TM}$ Surgical System in extirpation of a large teratoma in anterior mediastinum.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.584-588
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• 2004

Pulmonary aspergilloma usually arises in preexisting lung cavities characterized by recurrent hemoptysis. Although surgical resection of the aspergilloma is the best treatment, most patients are poor candidates for surgery because of far-advanced underlying pulmonary disease. On the other hand, pulmonary actinomycosis is a chronic, indolent bacterial infection and follows aspiration of oropharyngeal material. Bronchiectasis and obstructive lung disease are often associated underlying conditions. We report a case of pulmonary aspergilloma in bronchogenic cyst associated with an actinomycosis in 21-year-old woman treated by thoracoscopic surgery with a review of literature.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.314-317
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• 2008

We report the patient presented with a left-sided pleural effusion. Pleural fluid analysis revealed lymphocyte-dominant exudates with lower level of adenosine deaminase and negative cytologic malignancy. Thoracoscopic examination and histologic examination revealed metastatic nodules on pleurae, proven to be from the papillary thyroid cancer. There were no other sites of distant metastases. Though papillary thyroid cancer is characterized with slow progression and relatively good prognosis, metastatic pleural effusion as an initial manifestation of undiagnosed papillary thyroid cancer can be considered.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1577-1583
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• 2000

Objectives : Among the various types of minimally invasive spine surgeries, thoracoscopic surgery is becoming more widely accepted and increasingly utilized. This report delineates our clinical experience using thoracoscopy to resect herniated thoracic discs in 16 patients who suffered from myelopathy or intolerable radiculopathy. Patients and Methods : Between Mar. 1997 and Sep. 1999, 16 consecutive patients underwent thoracoscopic discectomy for treatment of herniated thoracic discs. There were 12 men and 4 women(mean age 43.5 years ; range 18-61 years). Eleven patients presented with myelopathic signs and symptoms from spinal cord compression and 5 patients had incapacitating thoracic radicular pain without myelopathy. The surgical level was varied between T3 and T12. The pathology of specimen were 11 hard discs and 5 soft discs herniations. Thoracoscopic techniques were performed with long narrow spine instruments and high speed drill through 3 or 4 ports under one lung ventilated general anesthesia. During the operation three patients were converted to open thoracotomy due to intolerable one lung ventilation, excessive bleeding and inadequate operation field. The mean operation time was 264min.(range : 100-420min.), and postoperative mean admission period was 11 days. Results : Clinical and neurological outcomes were good in all patients(mean follow-up period 20 months). Among the eleven myelopathic patients, 8 improved neurologically, and 3 stabilized. Among the five radiculopathic patients, 4 recovered completely and no patient had worsened. Postoperative complications were pleural effusion in one case, intercostal neuralgia in one, delayed hemopneumothorax in one, prolonged air leakage in one and pneumonia in one case. Conclusions : Thoracoscopic discectomy needs a steep learning curve to be familiar to anatomical space and handling of endoscopic instruments. However, it is technically feasible and can be effectively performed with acceptable results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.226-229
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• 1994

VATS is now used by many thoracic surgeons and in various anatomic locations such as lung parenchyme, pleura and mediastinum, etc. VATS of mediastinal masses has special characteristics compared to that of other diseases. Those are no positional changes of the mass during collapse of the lung and close proximity of the mass to major vascular structures, nerves and other vital organs. From 1992. July to 1993. August, 10 mediastinal masses were treated with video assisted thoracoscopy. There were five males and five females, ages ranged from 11 years to 65 years with average 37.7 17.7 years old. Of the 10 patients, 4 were bronchogenic cysts, 2 were teratoma, and the others were thymoma, neurilemmoma, pericardial cyst, and thymic cyst. Needle aspiration was done in large cysts and the working thoracotomy[or utility thoracotomy] was done in large solid masses for the purpose of easy dissection, easy handling and easy delivery of the mass. The average operation time were 155.6 6.8 minutes and the duration of air leakage were 1 2.2 days. The duration of the chest tube drainage were 3.3 2.6 days. The lengths of the postoperative hospitalization were 5.1 2.7 days which were shorter than those of 12 mediastinal masses treated with conventional thoracotomy during the same periods [p<0.05]. There was 1 patient converted to thoracotomy because of a bleeding at innominate vein. 3 postoperative complications were occured. Those were persistent air leakage for 7 days, diaphragmatic palsy and hoarseness which were recovered within 1 month. We conclude that mediastinal mass can be excised with video assisted thoracoscopy and the posthospitalization is reduced. But careful attention is required for avoiding injury to major vascular structures, nerves, and other vital organs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2003

Idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis is very rare. We report two cases of a 41-year-old man and 65-year-old man who presented with backache and vocal cord palsy, subsequently confirmed to be idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis. Preoperative chest computed tomography showed a mediastinal mass and thoracoscopic biopsy was preformed. The mass was hard, dense and partially calcified, and adhered the adjacent mediastinal structure. Postoperative medical treatment was not performed, and during 5 and 7 month follow-up has not demonstrated any complication.