• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.964-967
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• 2001

Giant thymic Hyperplasia is a rare lesion in children. We report a case of giant thymic hyperplasia in the right anterior mediastinum in a 2 year-old male patient. Presenting symptom was frequent cough and sputum, plain chest X-ray and computed tomography showed huge mass in the right anterior mediastinum. The tumor resection was done through a median sternotomy for the prevention of progression to atelectasis caused by mass effect and tissue diagnosis. An open biopsy specimen showed normal thymic architecture. The patient recovered without any problem and is doing well untill now. We report this rare case of giant thymic hyperplasia with review of the literature.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.996-999
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• 2006

True thymic hyperplasia and ectopic thymus are very rare in children. In embryologic aspect, thymus is distributed around cervical area and ends up in mediastinum. This case is simultaneous thymic hyperplasia of neck and mediastinum. Ectopic thymus in the neck and thymic hyperplasia in the mediastinum in children were reported 2 and 7 cases respectively in Korea. In Clinical aspects, these thymic hyperplasia were presented by mass. So we should suspect these benign condition to avoid unnecessary operation or biopsy. We report a case of true thymic hyperplasia in the mediastinum with ectopic thymus in the neck in a 4-month-old male infant and review the relevant literature. We believe this is the first reported case in the world of true thymus hyperplasia in the mediastinum with cervical ectopic thymus in the neck.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.325-328
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• 2002

The neuroendocrine tumor is a rare thymic neoplasm, which has been regarded as a distinct tumor from thymoma and originates from Kultschizky cell. The pathologic diagnosis of thymic neuroendocrine tumor has been on findings from light microscopy, immunohistochemical studies, and electron microscopy. About 50% of thymic carcinoids are seen with endocrinopathies. Recurrence and extrathoracic metastasis are characteristics of thymic carcinoids. Surgical removal of the initial and recurred tumor is considered to be the most effective treatment. The role of the adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy is still uncertain. Herein we report a case of thymic neuroendocrine tumor, which was resected surgically.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.1 s.258
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• pp.85-89
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• 2006

Good's syndrome (thymoma with immunodeficiency) is a rare cause of combined B and T cell immunodeficiency in adults. The clinical characteristics are increased susceptibility to bacterial infection and opportunistic viral and fungal infections. The most consistent immunological abnormalities are hypogammaglobulinemia and reduced or absent B cells. This syndrome should be treated by resecting the thymoma and replacing the immunoglobulin to maintain adequate IgG values. The author experienced one case of Good's Syndrome. The patient was a 64-year-old female who had a history of frequent sinopulmonary infection. Chest CT showed Pneumonia and anterior mediastinal mass and PCNB was taken and biopsy result was thymoma. She received thymectomy and replacement of immunoglobulin to control hypogammaglobulinemia.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1202-1206
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• 2008

The present investigation demonstrates HLA-DR and PGP9.5 double positive cells accumulate thymus cortical region in normal baboon thymus and baboon lung. But, these cells disappeared in thymus and lung of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) animals. 125d GC animal model is more suitable for BPD than 140d GC animal. Anti-bombesin antibody, 2A11 treated baboon recover normal level of HLA-DR positive cells from BPD animal. In addition, thymocytes show responsiveness for bombesin. These observation suggest that blocking BLPs protects a chronic lung injury by BPD and 2A11 is possible agent for passive therapy of BPD.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.726-731
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• 1999

Background: The distinction between non-invasive and invasive or thymic carcinoma has been severely compromised by lack of objective morphological criteria. A reliable biological marker of tumor aggressiveness is, therefore, mandatory for predicting tumor behavior. Material and Method: Thirty thymic epithelial tumors, including 7 non-invasive thymoma, 10 invasive thymoma, and 13 thymic carcinoma of the Rosai's classification; and 5 stage I, 7 stage II, 2 stage III, and 3 stage IVa of the Masaoka stage of thymoma were investigated for expression of bcl-2 and p53 proteins by immunohistochemistry. Result: The thymic epithelial cells showed positive immunostain for bcl-2 in 0 (0%), 3 (30%), 8 (61.5%) of categories in the Rosai's classification respectively and in 0 (0%), 1 (14.3%), 2 (100%), 0 (0%) of stage I, II, III, IVa of the Masaoka stage respectively. Thymic carcinoma, and high stage thymoma had significantly higher proportion of bcl-2 expression than thymoma (p=0.021) and low stage thymoma (p=0.011). However, p53 showed no correlation with the histological subtypes nor with clinical aggressiveness. Bcl-2 expression appeared to be positively correlated with p53 immunoactivity (p=0.007, kappa=0.525). Conclusion: These date indicate that bcl-2 expression correlates with aggressiveness in thymic epithelial tumors, but further studies on mutation of p53 protein is necessary because bcl-2 expression appeared to be positively correlated with p53 immunoactivity.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.86-96
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• 1996

The authors experienced 52 patients with myasthenia gravis who were diagnosed at the Department of Neurology, Yeungnarn University Hospital from August 1985 to January 1996. The following results were obtained through diagnostic evaluation and treatment. 1. The ratio of male to female was 1:1.7 and the most prevalent age group was second decade. 2. The most common initial presentation symptom was ocular(71.2%) and the peak incidence group was stage I (69.3%) according to the modified Osserman's classification. 3. In 16 patients(30.8%), it took more than a year to diagnose due to symptoms which were relapsed and remitting. 4. Of 52 patients, 2 cases were associated with thyroid disease(3.8%) and 2 with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(3.8%). 5. All of those who received anticholinesterase and corticosteroid therapy were improved with the exception of 5 cases which were improved after thymectomy and/or plasmapheresis. 6. Spontaneous remission was occured in 2 cases(3.8%) of ocular myasthenia gravis. And 1 case of group II. was cured through thymectomy and long-term corticosteroid therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.584-587
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• 1999

The DiGeorge syndrome is a rare congenital abnormality consisting of aplasia or hypoplasia of the thymus and parathyroid glands resulting from malformation of the third and fourth pharyngeal pouches. This syndrome usually includes congenital cardiac anomalies and abnormal facial features. We experienced a case of congenital cardiac anomaly associated with DiGeorge syndrome. The patient was 1 month old boy weighing 3.5 kg. The congenital cardiac anomalies included ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, coactation of aorta, and patent ductus arteriosus. We performed one-stage operation with two separate incisions for these cardiac anomalies. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient at 6 months of follow up is doing well.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.380-383
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• 2007

A 42-years-old man was referred to our department due to his hemoptysis. Chest CT showed a cavitary lung lesion in the apical segment of the RUL and an anterior mediastinal mass. The patient underwent wedge resection for the cavitary lesion and complete resection for the mediastinal mass. The pathologic finding was Paragonimus Westermani infestation in both the lung and thymus. The abdomen CT taken postoperatively showed an inflammatory mass involving the transverse colon and a small nodular lesion around the descending colon, which strongly suggested paragonimiasis. Postoperatively, the patient took Praziquantel for 2 days and he was discharged without any complications. There was no evidence of recurrence for the last 2 years.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.383-389
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• 2002

We experienced a case of partial DiGeorge syndrome in a $35^{＋5}$ week premature female infant presented with micrognathia, fish-shaped mouth, beaked nose, nasal regurgitation, obstructive sleep apnea, velopharyngeal insufficiency and late onset hypocalcemic seizures. The chromosome 22q11 microdeletion was found by the FISH method. The lab findings showed serum calcium level of 4.4 mg/dL, ionized calcium level of 0.49 mg/dL, phosphorous level of 7.5 mg/dL, magnesium level of 1.3 mg/dL and PTH-RIA level of <1 pq/mL. Initial treatment was done with 10% calcium gluconate infusion and magnesium sulfate followed by oral calcium gluconate and low phosphorousformula milk feeding. The serum calcium level was normalized in 6 days. Nasal regurgitation, desaturation with obstructive sleep apnea continued. T-cell functions & numbers(CD 3, CD 4, CD 8)were decreased but Ig G/A/M levels were normal. No visible signs of thymus shadow were seen in either chest X-ray & chest MRI. Electrocardiography and echocardiography showed normal heart. Kidney ultrasonographby showed right side mild hydronephrosis. Neurosonography was normal but EEG showed electrical partial seizure. Hearing assessment by BERA showed mild to moderate hearing impairment. Velopharyngoplasty is scheduled for further treatment. A brief review of literature was made.