• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.630-633
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• 2002

Although the incidence of descending necrotizing mediastinitis(DNM) is low, this is a serious disease because it"s mortality have been reported to be as high as 40∼50%. Currently, many authors have emphasized aggressive surgical approaches rather than medical treatment alone. We report good results in 2 DNM patients treated by less invasive approach with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, Less invasive methods with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery can reduce hospital stay and morbidity if effective drainage can be achieved in selected DNM patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.146-149
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• 2005

Most primary spinal abscesses, irrespective of pathogens and anatomical locations, have better prognosis than that of secondary abscesses with spondylitis. We report a 68-year-old man, previously undertaken pulmonary resection due to tuberculosis, presented with paraparesis. Imaging studies showed primary intraspinal abscesses at T-1 and T-3 vertebral levels, semi-invasive pulmonary Aspergillosis and inflammation of the posterior mediastinum. Operative procedure and histopathological examination revealed interdural Aspergillus abscess. Despite chemotherapy, he deteriorated progressively, and spondylitis developed at corresponding vertebrae. He eventually died 6 weeks postoperatively due to pulmonary complication. The authors intended to inform that such an extradural inflammatory lesion of Aspergillus abscess should be treated carefully.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.248-252
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• 1997

A 48 year old man, has been suffering from a growing chondrosarcoma of sternum which has deeply invading the anterior mediastinum: He underwent wide resection of the chest wall tumor including a 4 cm free margin of normal tissue on all portions. The tumor as 15 $\times$ 16$\times$ 10cm in size arising from sternum and include both proximal one third of the clavicle and the 1 st, 2nd, and 3rd coital cartilages. The resected skeletal defect in the anterior wall was very large after wide resection of the'tumor and reconstructed due to paradoxical chest wall movement with sandwich like method of double over lapping Marlex mesh and methylmethacreylate, and steel wires. The soft tissue reconstructive procedure was dont with myocutaneous flap transposition use of pectoralis muscle. But the patient go infected with tuberculosis in the mediastinum two months after the operation. We had removed all of previously inserted prosthetics and performed curettage and drainage. Recently we experienced a case with giant chondrosarcoma of the sternum associated with tuberculous mediastinitis. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged with adjuvant treatment such as antituberculous medication for 1 year.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.278-282
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• 2002

A 68-year-old woman was admitted after suffering facial edema with neck vein engorgement for approximately 2 months. A chest X-ray showed a mild widening of the superior mediastinum and a luminal obliteration of the superior vena cava(SVC) was noted on a computed tomograph. Venography showed that both subclavian veins were obstructed at the level of the proximal clavicle with a nonvisualization of the SVC. The SVC, both the innominate and the left internal jugular veins were completely obstructed with extensive cord-like fibrotic changes despite the absence of mediastinal involvement. The microscopic features showed a chronic granulomatous inflammation with a fibrosis minimally invading the mediastinal fat, which is consistent with fibrosing mediastinitis.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.64-70
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• 2009

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis(DNM) can occur as a complication of oropharyngeal and cervical infections that spread to the mediastinum via the cervical spaces. Delayed diagnosis and inadequate mediastinal drainage through a cervical or minor thoracic approach are the primary causes of a high mortality rate. Therefore, We emphasize that aggressive and emergent mediastinal drainage by surgical approach is most important method of DNM treatment. We studied 5cases diagnosed as DNM from 2005 through 2007. All patients underwent emergent surgical drainage of deep neck infection combined with mediastinal drainage through a thoracic approach. Primary oropharyngeal infection lead to DNM in four cases(80%) and odontogenic abscess in one case(20%). The outcomes were favorable 5patients. Overall mortality rate was 0%. The time interval from diagnosis based on manifestation of initial symptoms(oral or pharyngolaryngeal area) to surgical intervention was $7.4{\pm}4.2$days. One patient required reoperation due to remnant mediastinal abscess and pericardial effusion. Early diagnosis and emergent combined drainage with neck and chest incisions, together with broad spectrum intravenous antibiotics, should be considered standard care for this disease. And intensive postoperative care which it is continuous mediastinal irrigation and antibiotics use can significantly reduce the mortality rate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.744-749
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• 1986

Even in the hands of the expert endoscopists, an occasional instrumental perforation of the esophagus occurs. But instrumental perforation of the esophagus should not be difficult to diagnose if the possibility is borne in mind. Occasionally patient with esophageal perforations show little reaction at first, but usually they develop systemic manifestation if surgical management is delayed. Early surgical drainage of esophageal perforation is very important & effective therapeutic method. The delayed surgical treatment of esophageal perforation would have increased the morbidity & mortality by allowing mediastinitis & empyema thoracis. We have experienced 6 cases of delayed surgical management of instrumental perforation of esophagus from May 1974 to April 1986 in the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Yonsei University, college of the medicine. The ages ranged from 4 years to 57 years. The underlying esophageal diseases consisted of esophageal stricture in 3 cases, foreign bodies in the esophagus in 2 cases and esophageal ca. in one case. Most clinical manifestations on admission were high fever, chest discomfort, chest pain, dysphagia and subcutaneous emphysema. Most complications due to esophageal rupture were acute mediastinitis with or without empyema thoracis. Failure to diagnose promptly and failure to promptly institute adequate treatment undoubtedly were largely responsible for this patients death. All 6 patients had been taken delayed surgical drainage more than 24 hours following esophageal perforation. One patient had been in the open drainage state for long time and the another patient has been in the tracheostomy with postintubation vocal cord ulceration. The third patient died due to respiratory failure and sepsis due to fulminant mediastinitis & empyema thoracis. Even if the patients with esophageal perforation have been taken delayed surgical management, the patients should be survived with aggressive & effective surgical drainage with intensive post-operative care.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2023

Background: We analyzed our experience with descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) treatment and investigated the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for mediastinal drainage. Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients who underwent surgical drainage for DNM at our hospital from 2005 to 2020. We analyzed patients' baseline characteristics, surgical data, and perioperative outcomes and compared them according to the mediastinal drainage approach among patients with type II DNM. Results: Twenty-five patients (male-to-female ratio, 18:7) with a mean age of 54.0±12.9 years were enrolled in this study. The most common infection sources were pharyngeal infections (60%). Most patients had significantly increased white blood cell counts, elevated C-reactive protein levels, and decreased albumin levels on admission. The most common DNM type was type IIB (n=16, 64%), while 5 and 4 patients had types I and IIA, respectively. For mediastinal drainage, the transcervical approach was used in 15 patients and the transthoracic approach (VATS) in 10 patients. The mean length of hospital stay was 26.5±23.8 days, and the postoperative morbidity and in-hospital mortality rates were 24% and 12%, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found among patients with type II DNM between the transcervical and VATS groups. However, the VATS group showed shorter mean antibiotic therapy duration, drainage duration, and hospital stay length than the transcervical group. Conclusion: DNM manifested as severe infection requiring long-term inpatient treatment, with a mortality rate of 12%. Thus, active treatment with a multidisciplinary approach is crucial, and mediastinal drainage using VATS is considered relatively safe and effective.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.206-210
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• 1999

We report here 2 cases of deep-seated mediastinitis combined with sternal osteomyelitis after tracheal reconstruction which were successfully treated with sternectomy, in-situ or free omental transfer, and pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. In case I, an 8 year-old boy with deep seated mediastinitis and sternal osteomyelitis that developed after anterior tracheoplasty through a standard midline sternotomy. In case II, a 50 year-old female patient with mediastinal abcess and sternal osteomyelitis that developed after resection and end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea through an upper midline sternotomy. Treatments consisted of drainage and irrigation followed by wide resection of the infected sternum, placement of the viable omentum into the anterior mediastinal space, and chest wall reconstruction with a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. The omentum was transferred as an in-situ pedicled graft in case I and a free graft in case II. Both patients have recovered smoothly wit out any events and have been doing well postoperatively.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.24-24
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• 2005

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.421-427
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• 2005

Although the incidence of mediastinal wound infection in patient undergoing median sternotomy for cardiovascular surgery is relatively low(less than 1%), it is not only a devastating and potentially life-threatening complication but also associated morbidity, mortality and cost are unacceptably high. During the past few decades various methods had been applied for the treatment of postoperative mediastinitis. Currently, chest wall reconstruction by using muscle flaps-especially pectoralis major muscle and rectus abdominis muscle are commonly selected for the reconstruction after wide debridement has become widely accepted. We performed bilateral pectoralis major-rectus abdominis muscles in-continuity bipedicle flap to overcome the limit of each flap for reconstruction of sternal defects in 17 patients. We analyzed the results of the surgery. Recurrent infection developed in 17.6% of cases and abdominal herniation was observed in one patient. There was no postoperative hematoma or death. We conclude that this flap is very valuable in reconstruction of the anterior chest wall defect caused by post-sternotomy infection because it provides sufficient volume to fill the entire mediastinum, and the complication rate compares favorably to that of other methods.