• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 2009

Background: There is limited data on the epidemiology and relative frequency of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) worldwide. This survey was performed to assess the epidemiology and relative frequency of IIP in Korea. Methods: The patients with IIP and who were confirmed by lung biopsy, except those patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, (IPF) over a 5 year period (from Jan. $1^{st}$, 2003 to Dec. $31^{st}$, 2007) were registered by a web-base questionnaire. Results: A total of 3,156 cases were registered, but 970 cases were excluded due to duplicative registration, inadequate data and the unmet ATS/ERS diagnostic criteria. A total of 2,186 cases were analyzed. The male to female ratio was about 2 : 1 and their mean age was 65 (range: 11-94). The most frequent disease was IPF (77.1%), followed in decreasing order by nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) (11.9%), cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) (8.5%), acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) (1.1%), desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP) (0.9%), respiratory bronchiolitis-interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) (0.4%) and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) (0.1%). The mean age of the patients with IPF, NSIP and COP was 67.8, 57.1 and 57.7 years old, respectively. The most frequent symptom was dyspnea on exertion (69%) followed by coughing (61%) and sputum (33%) for the whole population. The three year survival rate was 62% for the patients with IPF and the five year survival rate was 85% in both the NSIP and COP patients. Conclusion: This survey provides helpful information for the management of IIP and to produce management guidelines for this illness in Korea.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2023

Dyspnea is a common symptom among patients with gastrointestinal cancer, and a comprehensive evaluation of their respiratory function is essential. Self-reporting aids in the assessment of the degree of dyspnea, while objective examination methods are performed to identify the potential underlying causes when subjective symptoms are present. Standard treatment protocols should be followed for potentially reversible and common causes of dyspnea, such as pleural effusion, pneumonia, airway obstruction, anemia, asthma, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary thromboembolism, or drug-induced interstitial lung disease. Careful and close monitoring is required due to the high frequency of pulmonary thromboembolism and the risk of cardiovascular accidents, drug-induced interstitial lung disease, or other complications from some anticancer drugs. In case of hypoxemia with an oxygen saturation of 90% or less, palliative treatment should comprise standard oxygen therapy such as nasal cannula, mask, or high-flow nasal cannula. If non-pharmacological oxygen therapy is not effective, pain control through systemic narcotic analgesics and anti-anxiety therapy with benzodiazepines may be helpful.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.400-406
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• 1995

Interstitial pneumonitis may be the presenting manifestation of polymyositis-dermatomyositis (PM-DM), or may occur later in the evolution of disease. The clinical picture is characterized by non-productive cough, dyspnea and hypoxemia. The chest radiograph demonstrates interstitial infiltrates with predilection for the lung bases, often with an alveolar pattern in addition. We experienced a case of polymyositis associated with diffuse alveolar damage(DAD) that was proven in open lung biopsy. The patient was a 52 year-old woman who was presented with 6 months' duration of generalized ache, edema on ankle and wrist, non-productive cough and mild dyspnea. She had typical symptoms and physical findings of interstitial pneuminitis, and elevated muscle enzyme levels in serum with characteristic histologic findings of myositis on muscle biopsy. She also had typical interstitial lung disease pattern on high resolution CT and restrictive pattern on pulmonary function tests. The findings of open lung biopsy was compatible with diffuse alveolar damage(DAD). She failed to respond to the therapeutic trials with corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide, and finally expired due to acute respiratory distress syndrome.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.529-534
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• 2002

Interstitial pneumonia is a heterogenous group of inflammatory and fibrosing lesions that manifest themselves as infiltrative lung disease. Of these, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia is characterized as a variable degree of interstitial inflammation with or without fibrosis and is distinguished from usual interstitial pneumonia and desquamative interstitial pneumonia, histologically. The influx of inflammatory cells and the responses of immune effector cells injury to the alveolar wall and these initial injuries results in alveolitis and fibrosis. Consequently, the gas exchange throughout the alveolar wall is impaired and the patients suffer from lung diseases of a restrictive pattern. The chief complaints represented are dyspnea and dry cough. We experienced a case of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia in a 10-year old girl. The patient had been healthy and had not been exposed to organic dusts or other toxic materials. The pathology of lung biopsy tissue showed that the alveoli were thickened by a mixture of chronic inflammatory cells and collagen type fibrosis. High resolution computed tomography(HRCT) found the patchy areas of ground-glass opacity with patchy consolidation and irregular reticular opacity, and diffuse distribution without zonal predominance. The forced vital capicity(FVC) was 31%, forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) 29% and $FEV_1/FVC$ 90%, so a restrictive pulmonary insufficiency was found.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1014-1018
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• 1995

To confirm diagnosis and to set proper therapeutic strategy, open lung biopsies were done in 57 patients who were suspected for diffuse interstitial lung disease from January 1985 to December 1994. Among them, 35 were male and 22 were female[M:F=l.6: 1 and mean age of the patients is 53.5$\pm$ 2.3[24-81 years. Tissue for histologic studies were obtained from left lung in 33, from right lung in 24according to the distributions of the pathology. Preoperative diagnostic work-up`s were chest X-ray, CT[HRCT scan, sputum study, bronchoscopy[BAL, TBLB and PTNA and all of them were unsuccessful to confirm diagnosis. In comparison of pulmonary function tests between preoperative and postoperative values, there were no significant differences in FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC[p 0.05 but in AaDO2[p[0.05 . Postoperative complications including atelectasis, wound infection, pulmonary edema and respiratory insnfficiency, were shown in 5 cases[8.8% , and two of them were died of respiratory failure and sepsis[mortality rate 3.5% . Pathologic diagnosis was confirmed in 53 cases postoperatively but it was undetermined in 4[diagnostic yield rate 93.0% . In comparison between preoperative clinical diagnosis and postoperative pathologic diagnosis, new diagnosis were made in 17 cases[29.8% and preoperative tentative diagnosis were confirmed histologically in 36 cases[63.2% . In 4 cases[7.0% , however, diagnoses were not confirmed after biopsies. Therapeutic plans were reset in 46 cases[80.7% in accordance with the final diagnosis.In conclusion, open lung biopsy is recommended for a specific diagnosis and proper therapeutic plan in diffuse interstitial lung diseases because of its high diagnostic yield Irate and it`s relatively low morbidity and mortality rate in these tompromised patents.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2011

Background: Open lung biopsy is used for diagnosis of diffuse infiltrative lung diseases (DILD), but it is invasive and relatively expensive procedure. Fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle lung biopsy (FCNLB) has merits of avoidance of admission and rapid diagnosis. But diagnostic accuracy and safety were not well known in the diagnosis of DILD. Methods: We included 52 patients (37 men, 15 women) having DILD on HRCT with dyspnea, except the patients who could be confidently diagnosed with clinical and HRCT findings. FCNLB was performed using 16G Ace cut needle (length 1.5 cm, diameter 2 mm) at the area of most active lesion on HRCT. Final diagnoses were made by the consensus. Results: The mean interval between the HRCT and FCNLB was 4.5 days. Most cases were performed one biopsy during 5~10 minutes. Specific diagnosis was obtained in 43 of 52 biopsies (83%). The most common diagnosis was nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (11 cases) and followed by cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (7 cases), diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and usual interstitial pneumonia (5 cases in each), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (3 cases), tuberculosis and drug induced interstitial pneumonitis (2 cases in each), the others are in one respectively. Mild complication was developed in 9 patients (8 pneumothorax, 1 hemoptysis). Most of complications were regressed without treatment except one case with chest tube insertion for pneumothorax. Conclusion: Fluoroscopy-guided 16 G cutting needle lung biopsy was an useful method for the diagnosis of DILD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.51-55
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• 2007

In the average adult with a normal immune state, Epstein-Barr virus pneumonia is very rare, especially in the form of interstitial lung disease. According to recent studies, the Epstein-Barr virus is also associated with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, AIDS and Langerhans cell histiocytosis, but not with sarcoidosis. BOOP is caused by lung injury due to an infection or drug intoxication, and is related to connective tissue disease or bone marrow transplantation, but is sometimes idiopathic. We experienced a patient with symptoms and signs of interstitial lung disease, with confirmed BOOP and EBV ingection from an open lung biopsy and serologic examination, respectively Herein, this case is reported, with a review of the literature.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.327-332
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• 2005

Interstitial lung disease refers to a group of pulmonary disorders characterized by inflammation of the interstitium, derangements and loss of alveolar capillary units leading to disruption of alveolar gas exchange, which induces symptoms of restrictive lung disease. Cases of interstitial pneumonia in children are uncommon and mostly have unknown causes. We have experienced an 8-year old boy who had symptoms of cyanosis, dry cough, dyspnea and abrupt weight loss. He had not been exposed to organic dusts, allergens or any other systemic disease infections. Chest radiology showed diffuse ground glass opacity in both lung fields. High resolution computed tomography(HRCT) showed multiple small patchy areas of consolidation with an underlying ground glass appearance in both lungs. The pathologic findings of lung biopsy tissue showed patchy areas of interstitial fibrosis, alveolar obliteration and nodular fibrotic areas, strongly suggesting interstitial pneumonia. No specific finding of viral inclusion or any other evidence of infection was found under electromicroscopy. We used peak flow meters to compare functional improvement. Forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) was decreased to 25 percent of predicted value. The boy was given treatment with prednisone and showed improvements in HRCT findings after two months. He was able to tolerate easy exercise in school and showed clinical improvements after one year of follow up.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.903-906
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• 1991

Retrospective review of 26 patients undergoing open lung biopsy at the Yonsei University during 10 years period was conducted to evaluate open lung biopsy for DILD. From January 1980 to August 1990, open lung biopsy was performed in 26 patients through a limited thoracotomy incision[a limited anterior or a posterolateral thoracotomy]. Open lung biopsy was indicated for diffuse interstitial pulmonary diseases undiagnosed by indirect clinical and radiological diagnostic methods. The types of incision were limited anterior[11] and limited posterolateral[15]. Preoperative evaluation of the lung disease included sputum culture[26], sputum cytology [19], bronchoscopy[9] and TBLB[7]. In 23 patients the histologic appearances after open lung biopsy were sufficiently specific histologic pictures to confirm diagnosis. The results of the biopsies changed usual therapeutic plan in 17 patients among them. The complications were resp. insufficiency[3], pulmonary ed6ma[3], sepsis[2], and others[3] in 6 patients. Diagnosis from the open lung biopsy was included respiratory pneumonia[7], fibrosis[7], infection[5], malignancy[2], others[5]. 4 patients died of respiratory insufficiency. The causes of the other three death were not due to direct result of the biopsy itself. Open lung biopsy in the patient with a diffuse infiltrative lung disease is an one of the accurate diagnostic method and frequently leads to change of the therapeutic plans. So we conclude that open lung biopsy remains our diagnostic method of choice in diffuse infiltrative lung disease undetermined etiology.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.4
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• pp.341-348
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• 2022

Background: An accurate diagnosis in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) by multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) based on histopathologic information is essential for optimal treatment. Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) has increasingly been used as a diagnostic alternative to surgical lung biopsy. This study aimed to evaluate the appropriate methods of TBLC in patients with ILD in Korea. Methods: A total of 27 patients who underwent TBLC were included. TBLC procedure details and clinical MDD diagnosis using TBLC histopathologic information were retrospectively analyzed. Results: All procedures were performed under general anesthesia with the fluoroscopic guidance in the operation room using flexible bronchoscopy and endobronchial balloon blocker. The median procedure duration was less than 30 minutes, and the median number of biopsies per participant was 2. Most of the bleeding after TBLC was not severe, and the rate of pneumothorax was 25.9%. The most common histopathologic pattern was alternative (48.2%), followed by indeterminate (33.3%) and usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)/probable UIP (18.5%). In the MDD after TBLC, the most common diagnosis was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (33.3%), followed by smoking-related ILD (25.9%), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (18.6%), unclassifiable-ILD (14.8%), and others (7.4%). Conclusion: This first single-center experience showed that TBLC using a flexible bronchoscopy and endobronchial balloon blocker with the fluoroscopic guidance under general anesthesia may be a safe and adequate diagnostic method for ILD patients in Korea. The diagnostic yield of MDD was 85.2%. Further studies are needed to evaluate the diagnostic yield and confidence of TBLC.