• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.732-738
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• 1999

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has become a standard therapy for several diseases such as pneumothorax, hyperhidrosis, mediastinal mass, and so on. These methods usually required single-lung ventilation with double-lumen endobronchial tube to collapse the lung under general anesthesia. However, risks of general anesthesia itself and single-lung ventilation must be considered in high-risk patients. Material and method: Between December 1997 and July 1998, eight high-risk patients (6: empyema, 1: intractable pleural effusion, 1: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) with underlying pulmonary disease and poor general condition were treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgerys under epidural anesthesia and spontaneous breathing. Result: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgerys were successfully per formed in 7 patients. Conversion to general anesthesia was required in 1 patient because of decrease in spontaneous breathing. But, conversion to open decortication was not required. In two patients with chronic empyema, one patient required thoracoplasty as a second procedure and one patient required re-video-assisted thoracoscopic procedure due to a recurrence. The mean operative time was 31.8$\pm$15.2 minutes. No significant postoperative respiratory com plication was encountered. Conclusion: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgerys can be per formed safely under epidural anesthesia for the treatment of empyema and diagnosis of pulmonary abnormalities in high-risk patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.59-62
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• 2009

Background: Pleural drainage following video-assisted thoracic surgery has traditionally been achieved with largebore, semi-rigid chest tubes. Recent trends in thoracic surgery have been toward less invasive approaches for a variety of diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of drainage by means of small, soft, and flexible 14Fr Blake drains. Material and Method: Between December 2007 and March 2008, 14Fr silastic Blake drains were used for drainage of the pleural cavity in 37 patients who underwent a variety of video-assisted thoracic surgical procedures at our institution. Result: The average postoperative length of hospital stay was 3.26 days (range, 2~12 days), Blake drains were left in the pleural space for an average of 3.15 days (range, 1~7 days), and the average amount of drainage was 43.8 ml/day. The maximal amount of blood removed daily by a Brake drain was as much as 290 mL. There were no drain-related complications. Blake drains seemed to cause less pain while in place, and particularly at the time of removal. Conclusion: The use of a Blake drain following minor thoracic surgery appeared to be safe and effective in drainage of fluid or air in the pleural space, and were associated with minimal discomfort.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.32-36
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• 2009

We report a case of disseminated Mycobacterium intracellulare infection in a 31-year-old man who had been diagnosed as having dermatomyositis and systemic lupus erythematosus 3-years prior. The patient developed a left pleural effusion M. intracellulare was repeatedly isolated from the pleural fluid. After antimycobacterial treatment, the patient's pleural effusion resolved, but a left knee joint effusion developed newly and M. intracellulare was cultured from the joint fluid. At present, the patient has been taking antimycobacterial medication for 15 months but his left knee joint fluid remains positive for M. intracellulare. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of disseminated NTM infection in a non-HIV infected patient in Korea.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.206-211
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• 2008

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of acute otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia, and the invasive bacterial infections in children. Rarely, S. pneumoniae is an uncommon cause of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). We report a 33 month-old girl who presented with pneumonia, and subsequently developed HUS. Her pulmonary infection was complicated by necrotizing pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Cultures from blood and pleural fluid grew S. pneumoniae, serotype 19A. She was treated with antibiotics, dialysis and mechanical ventilatory support. She was discharged with normal renal function after 2 months of management. She remained healthy without renal complications at the 5 year follow-up visit.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.537-540
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• 2008

There are few reports of the pleuropulmonary involvement of a non-typhi Salmonella infection in immunocompromised patients with AIDS, malignancy, collagen vascular diseases, extended use of corticosteroids, sickle cell disease, or diabetes. We report a case of a non-immunocompromised patient who presented with concomitant empyema and mediastinitis due to Salmonella without a comorbid disease. A 26-year-old male patient, with a history of pneumonia 5 years earlier and having lived abroad for several years, presented chronic cough and febrile sensation. Pneumonia, empyema and mediastinitis were noted in a chest CT scan and Salmonella enteritidis and ${\beta}-hemolytic$ streptococcus were identified from a culture of the pleural fluid. Initially, he was treated with cefepime, metronidazole and clarithromycin. He was cured clinically and radiographically after an 8 week treatment with antibiotics. In conclusion, this report suggests that S. enteritidis can cause empyema and mediastinitis, albeit rarely.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.710-714
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• 2009

Several studies showed that the survival rate of stage IIIB disease with malignant pleural effusion is worse than stage IIIB disease without malignant effusion. But, malignant pleural effusion was considered T4. To analyze changes the survival time for malignant pleural effusion, in the seventh revision of TNM classification for lung cancer. The records of all patients had to have either a histological or cytological diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who were admitted to Wonkwang university hospital between January 2004 and December 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the survival time of 187 patients with advanced lung cancer with and without malignant pleural effusion. This included the pleural effusion or nodule M1 a (pleural dissemination, currently classified as T4), nodule(s) in the other lung M1 a (contralateral lung nodule, currently classified as M1), nodule(s) with the same lobe as the primary tumor T3 (currently classified as T4), other T4 factors T4 (T4 MO anyN), and extrathoracic sites of disease M1b (distant metastasis, currently classified M1). Among the 187 patients, T4anyNMO was 57 patients in the current TNM classification. In the next edition of the TNM classification, T4MOanyN-T4 (excluding same lobe nodules) was 12 patients, pleural dissemiantion-M1a was 45 patients, contralateral lung nodule(s)-M1a was 7 patients, and metastatic disease-M1b was 55 patients. We compared the survival time for these groups. Survival time was 11 months, 8 months, 11 months, and 4 months. The survival time of malignant pleural effusion was shorter than other T4 factors without pleural effusion. But, there was no remarkable difference in statistics due to small cases (p=0.23). We strongly suggest that malignant pleural effusion in advanced NSCLC will be categorized with metastatic disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.423-426
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• 2005

Imatinib-mesylate (Gleevec, Glivec) is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase created by the Philadelphia chromosome abnormality in CML. Imatinib is also used to treat patients with c-kit (CD 117)-positive unresectable tumors, or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or both. Imatinib is a welltolerated drug with few side effects. However, it has been associated with gastrointestinal irritation, fluid retention and edema, skin rashes, depigmentation, hepatotoxicity, hemorrhage, and hematological toxicity (anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia). In addition, imatinib has been associated with dyspnea and cough, which are mainly secondary to the pleural effusion and pulmonary edema, which represent local or general fluid retention. These events appear to be dose related and are more common encountered in the elderly. However, there has been no report of hypersensitivity pneumonitis associated with imatinib-mesylate in Korea. We report a case of 51-year old woman who developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis that might have been induced by imatinib-mesylate during the treatment of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.566-570
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• 2005

Primary pulmonary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) account for 0.4% of all types of lymphoma. Most cases are of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type, low grade B-cell lymphoma, but cases of the T-cell type are rare. The radiological findings frequently show hilar or mediastinal lymphadenopathy, but lung parenchymal involvement is uncommon. Here, a case of a patient, who presented with fever, generalized erythema, diffuse pulmonary infiltration and pleural effusion, diagnosed as a peripheral T-cell lymphoma, is reported.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.695-702
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• 1995

Background: Since polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was devised by Saiki in 1985, it has been used extensively in various fields of molecular biology. Clinically, PCR is especially useful in situation when microbiological or serological diagnosis is limited by scanty amount of causative agents. Thus, PCR can provide rapid and sensitive way of detecting M. tuberculosis in tuberculosis pleurisy which is diagnosed in only about 60 % of cases by conventional method. Method: To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of PCR in tuberculosis pleurisy, The results of PCR was compared with those of conventional method, including pleural biopsy. The pleural effusion fluid was collected from 7 proven patients, 7 clinically suspected patients and control group(7 patients with malignant effusion). We extracted DNA from pleural fluid by modified method of Eisennach method(1991). The amplification target for PCR was 123 base pair DNA, a part of IS6110. Result: 1) Sensitivity of PCR: We detected upto 50fg DNA. 2) In patients with pleural effusion of proven tuberculosis, the positive rate of PCR was 85.7%(6/7). In patients with pleural effusion of clinically suspected tuberculosis, the positive rate was 71.5%(5/7). In control group, positive rate was 0%(0/7). Conclusion: We concluded that PCR method could be a very rapid, sensitive and specific one for diagnosis of M tuberculosis in pleural effusion. Further studies should be followed for the development of easier method.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.81-100
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• 2000

Transsynaptic tracer이며 신경친화성 virus인 pseudorabies virus(PRV)를 방광(膀胱), 방광유(膀胱兪), 위중(委中) 및 중추(中極)에 주입(注入)한 후 4일간의 생존기간이 경과한 후 희생시켜 면역조직화학침액법(免疫組織化學染色法)에 의하여 뇌척수에 표지된 공통된 영역들을 비교하여 관찰한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 방광벽(膀胱壁), 방광유(膀胱兪), 위중(委中) 및 중추(中極)에서 척수에 투사된 영역은 흉수(胸髓), 요수(腰髓) 및 천수(薦髓)에 모두 표지되었으며 공통적으로 표지된 부위는 척수(脊髓)의 층판 IV, V, VII, IX, X영역에 표지되었으나 주로 강하게 표지된 공통된 영역은 층판 VII의 중간외측핵, 가슴기둥 및 층판 X영역이었다. 2. 방광벽(膀胱壁), 방광유(膀胱兪), 위중(委中) 및 중추(中極)에서 뇌(腦)에 투사된 공통된 영역은 연수(延髓)에서는 A1 noradrenalin cells/C1 adrenalin cells/caudoventrolateral reticular nucleus에서 양성반응을 나타내었다. 솔기핵의 경우 아핵인 불명솔기핵, 창백솔기핵 및 큰솔기핵에서 양성반응을 보였다. 다리뇌에서는 청색반점, Barrington's nucleus, A5세포군 및 삼차신경운동핵에서 양성반응을 보였고, 중뇌에서는 눈돌림신경핵, 눈돌림신경섬유 및 다리핵에서 양성반응을 보였다. 간뇌에서는 시상하부(視床下部)의 뇌실(腦室)곁핵과 시상의 뇌실곁핵에서 양성반응을 보였고 대뇌(大腦)에서는 septal nucleus, 피질(皮質)의 뒷다리영역, 마루엽, 이마엽에서 양성반응을 보였다. 이상의 결과를 종합하면 방광(膀胱)에서 투사되는 뇌척수의 영역과 방광유(膀胱兪)나 위중(委中)에서 투사되는 공통된 표지영역들은 방광(膀胱)과 족태양방광경(足太陽膀胱經) 그리고 그 경락(經絡)의 경혈(經穴)들이 어떤 상관성(相關性)을 가지고 연결(連結)되어 있다는 사실을 실험적으로 알 수 있었다. 특히 방광(膀胱)과 방광유(膀胱兪), 위중(委中)에서 투사된 공통된 표지영역, 즉 배뇨중추인 Barrington's nucleus에 표지되는 것은 내장(內臟)-경락(經絡)이 central autonomic pathway에 의하여 서로 연결되었음을 입증하는 중요한 결과(結果)라고 사려(思慮)된다.