• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.98-101
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• 1976

Clinical observations were made on a total 104 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax during the period of 5 years from MAR. 1971 to MAR. 1976 at the Dept. of Chest Surgery, Korea University Medical College. The ratio of male to female cases was 7.4 : 1 in male predominance, and age distribution was 73% of the total cases within the 15-40 age range. There were 56 patients (53.8%) of right sided pneumothorax and 44 patients (42.3%) of left sided pneumothorax, 8 patients presented bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax. The etiologic factors were tuberculous origin in 42.3%, rupture of bullae or blebs in 15.4%, acute pulmonary infection in 3.8%, pulmonary paragonimiasis in 2.9%, cysticercosis 1%, Marfan's syndrome in 1.9%, unknown causes in 32.7%. In all 104 cases, closed chest tube thoracostomy were performed for reexpansion of collapsed lung. In 50 cases of 104 cases, intrapleural instillation of Quinacrine HCl (Atabrine, Winthrop Laboratories, New York, N.Y.) thru the chest tube was used to control of recurrent pneumothorax, and compared observation with 54 cases control group of closed chest tube thoracostomy only. In both groups, 1) cure rates were 63% in control group and 88% in Atabrine group. 2) average duration of inserted chest tube were 5.6 days in control group and 5.7 days in Atabrine group.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.731-735
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• 1990

Simultaneous and non simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax patients[273] were reviewed retrospectively from April 1986 to March 1990 in the Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyung Hee University Medical College. The incidence of bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax was 13.6%[37] and sexual distribution was male dominant [Male:33, Female:4]. The patients were classified into three major groups according to therapeutic methods: Group I [7]; who were treated with simultaneous bilateral operation for unilateral recurred spontaneous pneumothorax through median sternotomy. Mean age was 20.7 years[17 \ulcorner28] and follow up duration was 7.7 months [3 weeks \ulcorner2 years]. Group II [23];who were treated with staged lateral thoractomy, unilateral thoracotomy and non simultaneous contralateral closed thoracostomy, or simultaneous or non simultaneous bilateral closed thoracostomy. Mean age was 28.6 years [17 \ulcorner56] and follow up duration was 9.8 months[one week \ulcorner3.5 years]. Group III[10] ;who were treated with simultaneous bilateral operation for simultaneous or non simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax through median sternotomy. Mean age was 21.4 years[17 \ulcorner28] and follow up duration was 12.8 months[2 weeks \ulcorner2.7 years]. Among the patients managed through median sternotomy simultaneously [Group I and III], there were visible blebs or bullous changed lesions mainly in the apicoposterior segment bilaterally in 15 patients[88.2%] Postoperative complications were 3 cases in Group II [wound infection:2 cases, temporary left wrist drop: one case] but none in Group I and III. Spontaneous pneumothorax recurred in 2 cases, one in Group II and another in Group III but none in Group I. 12 cases of 94 patients[12.8%o] who were treated with unilateral thoracotomy needed contralateral thoracotomy mean 14.9 months[7.5 \ulcorner 25 months] later. Mean age was 20.9 years [17 \ulcorner28]. In conclusion, simultaneous bilateral operation through median sternotomy should be considered in managements of spontaneous pneumothorax, especially in late teens and early twenties except young women for cosmetic reasons.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.299-306
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• 1988

We have reviewed 330 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax from Jan. 1980 to Jul. 1987 at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, Korea University. The ratio of male to female was 8.4:1, predominant in male. The incidence according to the age group was highest as 32% in the adolescence between 21 and 30 years old. The site of pneumothorax was right in 48%, left in 45% and bilateral in 7%. The initial symptoms were frequently dyspnea in 85%, chest pain in 63%. The etiologic factors were as follows; bleb origin in 31%, tuberculous origin in 30%, COPD in 3.3%, lung cancer in 1.5%, unknown in 29%. There was no significant difference in seasonal incidence irrespective of tuberculous or sex. The employed managements were as follows; bed rest with oxygen inhalation in 4 cases, closed thoracostomy in 326 cases, open thoracotomy in 122 cases, median sternotomy in 23 cases. The operative procedures at thoracotomy were as follows; simple pleurodesis in 5 cases, bleb excision or wedge resection in 113 cases, segmentectomy or lobectomy in 17 cases, decortication in 42 cases. Recurrence rate of each treatment was as follow; 50% in conservative treatment, 19% in closed thoracostomy, 2% in open thoracotomy, 4% in median sternotomy. Therefore overall recurrence rate was 12%. Open thoracotomy was the most effective procedure in recurrent pneumothorax, previous contralateral pneumothorax, bilateral simultaneous pneumothorax, visible bleb or bullae on the chest x-ray and persistent air leakage. 23 cases of unilateral spontaneous pneumothorax was examined whether or not underlying pathology of pneumothorax at opposite lung. 18 cases[78%] were positive findings. Therefore, bilateral thoracotomy by median sternotomy was a good operative method preventing contralateral pneumothorax.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1213-1220
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• 1990

During the period of January 1979 to December 1988, 220 patients with empyema thoracis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School Hospital. There were 167 males[75.9%] and 53 females[24.1%] ranging from 18 days to 76 years of age. Occurrence ratio of left and right empyema was 1 : 1.9. The underlying pathologic lesions of empyema were pneumonia[30.9%], pulmonary tuberculosis[22.7%], chest trauma[8.6%] and postoperative complications. In bacteriologic study, staphylococcus, pseudomonas and streptococcus accounted for 26.4%, 11.8% and 9% respectively, and 25% were not identified. Surgical treatment modalities were thoracentesis[10 patients, 4.5%], closed thoracostomy[132, 60%], closed rib resection drainage[4.2, 6%], modified Eloesser’s operation[37, 16.8%], decortication[27, 12.3%], decortication with pulmonary resection[6, 2.7%], thoracoplasty[2, 0.9%], muscle flap closure [1, 0.5%], and staged pneumonectomy[1, 0.5%], The mortality rate was 2.3% and the complications were sepsis[9 patients]. acute renal failure[4], and paralytic ileus[3].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.722-725
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• 1986

Rupture of the main bronchus following closed injury to the chest is a comparatively rare accident. The late recognition of this injury is attended by difficulties in management which may endanger life or expose the patient to distressing months and years of arduous therapy. This case was a 17 year old female who was a high school student. The patient had sustained a crushing injury to her right hemithorax and had been taken to an emergency hospital where right closed thoracostomy had been performed for a tension pneumothorax. She improved following this procedure but massive atelectasis of the right lung developed on the 13th day after trauma and transferred to our hospital. Bronchoscopy disclosed granulation tissue in the right main stem bronchus and end to end anastomosis of the bronchus was performed. Postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1076-1080
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• 1998

Background: Spontaneous hemopneumothorax, occurring in 1% to 12% of patients with spontaneous pneumothorax, is a rare disorder that can potentially lead to life-threatening complications. Materials and methods: We have experienced 15 cases (2.28%) with spontaneous hemopneumothorax among 659 episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax for eight years, from 1990 to 1997, at our hospital. We studied our previously treated patients by retrospective case studies to determine the nature of optimal management. Results: There were 14 male and 1 female patients whose mean age was 27.5 years, ranging from 19 to 58. The sides with disorder were as following: right in 10 cases and left in 5, unilaterally. The amount of initial bleeding ranged from 400 to 1,500 mL and 8 patients received a homologous blood transfusion. Patients exhibited symptoms of chest pain, dyspnea, chest discomfort, and hypovolemic shock. We concluded that causes of this disease in our patients were a torn pleural adhesion (14 cases) and a rupture of vascularized bullae (1 case with an underlying intrinsic lung disease, tuberculosis). All patients underwent closed thoracostomy and had good results except for 3. One patient underwent thoracotomy within 3 days from the onset because of continuous active hemorrhage. Decortication was required in one case because of a reactive fluid collection in the pleural space, which led to impaired lung expansion. Another patient underwent thoracotomy due to a ipsilateral recurrent pneumothorax without blood collection. Conclusions: The goals of treatment include hemostasis and reexpansion of the collapsed lung. Thus, if patients arrive early at hospital, closed thoracostomy and transfusion are thought to be sufficient treatments, although early surgical repair has been considered recently.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 1975

The thoracoscopic study was reported on 21 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax requiring surgical management, and clinical values of thoracoscopic examination on spontaneous pneumothorax were also discussed. patients were treated in the Department of .Thoracic Surgery, Hanyang University Hospital for the period of two Years from May 1972 to April 1974. For exact detection of etiologic factors on spontaneous pneumothorax, the thoracoscopic examination in the intrapleural space was performed in parallel with X-ray study. this study, the difference of diagnostic and therapeutic significance between radiological and thoracoscopic findings were observed and compared simultaneously. The results are summerized as follows: Patients age was distributed between 3 and 70 years old with highest incidence in the age group of sixty decade [33. 3%], and sex ratio of male to female was 5:2. The tuberculous processes which developed superficial subpleural layer in the lung parenchyme, on the pulmonary surface could be observed by thoracoscopic examination in a characteristic picture. detection ratio of pulmonary tuberculosis by the radiologic study to that by thoracoscopy was 8:2. The adhesion between the visceral and the parietal pleura which could possibly make a rupture of the alveola and the visceral pleura was found to be localized in a small area of the lung surface. The other part of the lung surface was free of the adhesion and, therefore, the movement of the lung took place completely without any difficulty. The ruptured orifice of the pleura and pathological changes surrounding the orifice can be detected by thoracoscopy, but not by other means such as radiologic examination. A single tuberculous bleb and multiple emphysematous blebs were found on 6 cases out of 21 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax. Among these cases, radiologic Study revealed the bleb only in one patient. On the other hand, the blebs were found in all the six patients by means of thoracoscopic examination. It gives the detection ratio of bleb by radiologic study to that by thoracoscopy was 1:6. By thoracoscopy, the rupture on the lung surface were visualized on the 10 patients out of a total of 21 patients [10 patients of visual rupture]. However, the rupture of the pleura was not observed on the rest of 11 patients even by thoracoscopic examination [11 patients of non visual rupture]. Five patients [50%] out of ten who had the visual rupture on the lung surface was required a surgical operation to remove pneumothorax. For the patients who were detected to have the visual rupture of the pleura by thoracoscopy, be considered in the early stage of closed thoracostomy. of 21 patients, 16 patients [11 patients of non visual rupture of the pleura and 5 patients of visual rupture of the pleura] who received no surgical management, were treated with closed thoracostomy with continuous suction, and the` pneumothorax was healed completely up in each cases. Therapeutic measures for the remaining 5 patients of visual rupture of the pleura who were subjected to surgical approach for radical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax were accordingly complicated, and the following different procedures were properly indicated case by case, that is, rib resection thoracostomy, simple closure of ruptured visceral pleura, wedged resection of the lung, and lobectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.890-894
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• 1991

We have performed a prospective study to assess the efficacy of suction drainage in 45 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax and 15 patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, treated by closed chest tube drainage with underwater seal during the period Jan. 1990 to Dec. 1990 at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yeungnam University Hospital. The patients were divided randomly into two groups, 28 cases receiving suction and the other 32 cases no suction. The success rate was 82.1% for the former and 87.5% for the latter with the overall success rate of 85.0% and there was no significant difference in success rate between the two groups According to the causes and the extent of pneumothorax, the difference between the success rates of the two groups was also not significant statistically. But according to the duration of air leakage, suction group under 2 days showed a high success rate[46.4%] and the same group with 3-4 days, a relatively low success rate[21.4%] compared with that of the former. We conclude that the suction treatment is somewhat valuable in shortening the tubing time in patients with small amounts of air leakage, but it doesn`t seem to increase the success rate in all patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.83-86
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• 1981

Eight cases by power tiller accidents experienced for 3 years from Jan. 1978 to Dec. 1980 were studied clinically. The results are as follows: 1. The most of the patients were thirties to fifties, and the incidence rate of male to female 7:1. 2. The common injuries were hemopneumothorax and multiple rib fractures [respectively and the other associated injuries were hepatic and delayed splenic ruptures, and fractures of the another sites. 3. The accident forms were overturning [50.0%], falling down from the power tiller [37.5%], and collision against the power tiller [12.5%]. 4. All of the drivers and 75% of the passengers in the patients were drunken states at the accident time. 5. The common methods of treatment were closed thoracostomy [62.5%], conservative treatment [37.5%], and exploratory laparotomy [25.0%].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1098-1106
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• 1991

Atelectasis may be defined as collapse of the lung due to absence of air within the alveoli. It may involve anatomic segments, lobes, or whole lungs but also may be a diffuse miliary process, as in the adult respiratory distress syndrome. The key to treatment are the anticipation and prevention of atelectasis in various clinical situations, the recognition and treatment of underlying disease, and the prompt initiation of vigorous treatment once atelectasis is found. Repeated assessment by physical examination is necessary to determine the presence of atelectasis and its response to treatment. During the period of January, 1981 to October, 1990, 100 patients with atelectasis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital. There were 70 males and 30 females ranging from 3 days to 79 years of age. The occurrence ratio of right to left side was 2.1 : 1. The underlying pathologic lesions of atelectasis were pneumonia with effusion(28), lung ca.(24), pulmonary tuberculosis(24), and chronic empyema(9), The treatment procedure for atelectasis were closed thoracostomy in 26 cases, ressection in 21 cases, therapeutic bronchoscopy in 14 cases and etc.