• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.397-403
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• 1998

Background: Little information is available concerning the value of bronchoscopy in patients with a lymphocytic exudative pleural effusion in which percutaneous pleural biopsy have been regarded as cornerstone in investigating the etiology. Recently, a few reports suggest that bronchoscopy may be more effective diagnostic method in patients with unexplained pleural effusion accompanied by hemoptysis or other roentgenographic abnormalities, such as mass, infiltrate, atelectasis. Method: Mter initial examinations of sputum and pleural fluid through thoracentesis in 112 patients(male 75 cases, female 37 cases, mean age 53.2 years) who were admitted for evaluation of the cause of pleural effusion, we performed bronchoscopy and closed pleural biology in most patients with undiagnosed lymphocytic exudate and compared the diagnostic yield of both invasive methods according to hemoptysis or other roentgenographic abnormalities, and investigated the sole diagnostic contribution of bronchoscopy. Results: Tuberculosis(57 cases, 51%) was the most common cause of pleural effusion. Percutaneous pleural biopsy showed more diagnostic yield than bronchoscopy regardless of presence or absence of other clinical or radiologic abnormalities. In 25 cases with unknown etiology after pleural biopsy, additional diagnostic yield by bronchoscopy was 36 % (4/11) in patients with associated features and only 7 % (1/14) with lone effusion, and, as the sole mean for diagnsosis in all patients with pleural effusion, was only 4.5%(5/12). Conclusion : In a region of high prevalence of tuberculosis as a cause of pleural effusion, percutaneous pleural biospy is more effective method when invasive method is required for confirmative diagnosis of unexplained lymphocytic exudative pleural effusion, and bronchoscopy is unlikely to aid in the diagnosis of lone pleural effusion.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.206-241
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• 1985

Attempts to search infection period, infection speed in the tissue of neck blast of rice plant, location of inoculum source and effects of several conditions about the leaf sheath of rice plants for neck blast incidence have been made. 1. The most infectious period for neck blast incidence was the booting stage just before heading date, and most of necks have been infected during the booting stage and on heading date. But $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid varieties had shown always high possibility for infection after booting stage. 2. Incubation period for neck blast of rice plants under natural conditions had rather a long period ranging from 10 to 22 days. Under artificial inoculation condition incubation period in the young panicle was shorter than in the old panicle. Panicles that emerged from the sheath of flag leaf had long incubation period, with a low infection rate and they also shown slow infection speed in the tissue. 3. Considering the incubation period of neck blast of rice plant, we assumed that the most effective application periods of chemicals are 5-10 days for immediate effective chemicals and 10-15 days for slow effective chemicals before heading. 4. Infiltration of conidia into the leaf sheath of rice plant carried out by saturation effect with water through the suture of the upper three leaves. The number of conidia observed in the leaf sheath during the booting stage were higher than those in the leaf sheath during other stages. Ligule had protected to infiltrate of conidia into the leaf sheath. 5. When conidia were infiltrated into the leaf sheath, the highest number of attached conidia was observed on the panicle base and panicle axis with hairs and degenerated panicle, which seemed to promote the infection of neck blast. 6. The lowest spore concentration for neck blast incidence was variable with rice varietal groups. $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid varieties were infected easily compared to the Japonica type varieties, especially. The number of spores for neck blast incidence in $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid varieties was less than 100 and disease index was higher also in $Indica{\times}Japonica$ hybrid than in Japonica type varieties. 7. Nitrogen content and silicate content were related with blast incidence in necks of rice plants in the different growing stage changed during growing period. Nitrogen content increased from booting stage to heading date and then decreased gradually as time passes. Silicate content increased from booting stage after heading with time. Change of these content promoted to increase neck blast infection. 8. Conidia moved to rice plant by ascending and desending dispersal and then attached on the rice plant. Conidia transfered horizontally was found very negligible. So we presumed that infection rate of neck blast was very low after emergence of panicle base from the leaf sheath. Also ascending air current by temperature difference between upper and lower side of rice plant seemed to increase the liberation of spores. 9. Conidial number of the blast fungus collected just before and after heading date was closely related with neck blast incidence. Lesions on three leaves from the top were closely related with neck blast incidence, because they had high potential for conidia formation of rice blast fungus and they were direct inoculum sources for neck blast. 10. The condition inside the leaf sheath was very favorable for the incidence of neck blast and the neck blast incidence in the leaf sheath increased as the level of fertilizer applied increased. Therefore, the infection rate of neck blast on the all panicle parts such as panicle base, panicle branches, spikelets, nodes, and internodes inside the leaf sheath didn't show differences due to varietal resistance or fertilizers applied. 11. Except for others among dominant species of fungi in the leaf sheath, only Gerlachia oryzae appeared to promote incidence of neck blast. It was assumed that days for heading of varieties were related with neck blast incidence.