• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.342-347
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• 1989

A 4-year-old male developed the esophageal perforation after air-gun shut injury in the thorax. The esophageal perforation was found on esophagogram at the next day after the accident. Because of delayed diagnosis, mediastinitis and pyopneumothorax were developed. The general conditions of the patient were very critical with sepsis on admission. Therefore, two staged operation was planned. At the first stage, exclusion and diversion of the esophagus was carried out to treat chemical pneumonitis due to gastric contents through the esophago-bronchial fistula by gastroesophageal reflux. Clinical conditions of the patient were improved after the first stage operation. At the second stage, the esophageal reconstruction with right colon was performed.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 2015

Vascular injury caused by a central venous catheter (CVC) has been reported to be a rare complication, especially delayed vascular injury due to CVC has a few cases and it can be fatal because of delayed recognition and more serious complications. A 59-year-old woman with no available medical history was admitted for treatment of ovarian cancer. For the surgery, a triple-lumen CVC was placed through the left subclavian vein. Parenteral nutrition through the CVC was used for postoperative nutritional management in the first postoperative day. On the sixth postoperative day (POD), the patient suddenly complained of dyspnea. The CT revealed bilateral pleural effusion and irregular soft tissue density and air bubble in anterior mediastinum suggesting migration of the distal portion of the CVC into the anterior mediastium. In the intensive care unit (ICU) bilateral thoracentesis and percutaneous drainage were performed. She was discharged from the ICU in 3 days later and transferred to the general ward. This case emphasizes the possibility of the delayed vascular injury related to CVC and some strategies for prevention of vascular injury.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.348-348
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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 × 16× 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.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.314-319
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• 2010

Odontogenic infections are a normally locally confined, self-limiting process that is easily treated by antibiotic therapy and local surgical treatment. However, it may spread into the surrounding tissues through a perforation of the bone, and into contiguous fascial spaces or planes like the primary or secondary fascial spaces. If the infection extends widely, it may spread into the lateral pharyngeal and retropharyngeal space. The retropharyngeal space is located posterior to the pharynx. If an odontogenic infection spreads into this space, severe life-threatening complications will occur, such as airway obstruction, mediastinitis, pericarditis, pleurisy, pulmonary abscess, aspiration pneumonia and hematogenous dissemination to the distant organs. The mortality rate of mediastinitis ranges from 35% to 50%. Therefore, a rapid evaluation and treatment are essential for treating retropharyngeal space abscesses and preventing severe complications. Recently, we encountered two cases of a retropharyngeal space abscess due to the spread of an odontogenic infection. In all patients, early diagnosis was performed by computed tomography scanning and a physical examination. All patients were treated successfully by extensive surgical and antibiotic therapy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.543-549
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• 2000

The incidence of deep neck infection has been reduced by modern antibiotic therapy. Life-threatening deep neck infection of odontogenic or upper airway origin may extend to the thorax. Early diagnosis, administration of the potent antibiotics, and complete debridement and drainage are essential to improve the chances for survival in these very ill patients. We report two cases of deep neck infection which were complicated by thoracic infection such as mediastinitis, pericarditis, and empyema as a result of descending infection.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2005

Background : It is well-known that esophageal perforation (EP) is difficult in diagnosis and has high mortality rate despite proper management. There are disputes in regarding the reatment in cases of delayed diagnosis although in the early diagnosed cases, operation is recommended without arguments. Methods: From April, 2001 to December, 2004, nine patients who were diagnosed as EP in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively about the causes, the interval between the cause and the treatment, and operation methods. Results: There were 8 male and one female with men age of 49.3 years (range: 25-67 years). The causes of EP included perforations following operations of corvical spine in three cases, spontaneous perforation(Boehaave syndrome) in two cases, foreign bodies in two cases, operation of esophageal diverticulum in one case and blunt trauma bytraffic accident in one case. Mean interval between the first treatments and the causes was 11.6 days (range: 2-30 days). The sites of perforation were upper third of esophagus in three cases, middle third in three cases and lower third in three cases. All except two cervical cases presented as mediastinitis or empyema at the time of diagnosis. Primary repair and irrigation had been performed in 7 cases but five cases out of them required more than two procedures. Conclusions : More than one procedure wasrequired in the treatment of EP because of contaminations and infections which had been spread at the time of initial manifestatios, howeverprimary closure and massive irrigation is the best method in order to preserve esophagus unless the remaining esophagus is extensively damaged.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 1969

This is a report on a total of 11 cases of esophageal perforation in the department of thoracic surgery, Chonnam University Hospital during the period of 8 years from 1962 to 1969. They occurred by the following agents, that is,lye solution[7 cases], fish bone[2 cases]. compress air [one case], strong acid [one case]. The perforated portions of esophagus were cervical esophagus in 2 cases, upper third of esophagus in 5 cases, middle third of esophagus in 3 cases and lower third of esophagus [abdominal esophagus] in one case. 4 cases out of cases of esophageal perforation after ingestion of Lye solution were due to Bougination to improve esophageal stenosis: 2 cases occurred 2 months after ingestion of Lye solution and the remaining 2 cases, 2 to 3 weeks after Lye solution ingestion. Therefore, It is realized that Bougination for esephageal stricture by Lye solution is particularly dangerous. The complication after esophageal perforation were mediastinitis,[10 cases], right pyothorax with mediastinitis [8 cases], peritonitis [4 cases], esophago-bronchial fistula[one case]. Owing to the various complications above mentioned, surgical approach to esophageal perforation is accordingly complicated and a combination of more than two of the following different procedures were properly used case by case, that is. gastrostomy or jejunostomy for feeding and esophageal rest,thoracotomy and chest drainage, lung decortication for pyothorax, primary closure of compress air perforation and esophago-bronchial fistula, mediastinostomy, retrosternal esophagoplasty using right colon to Lye stricture etc. 5 cases[45. 5%] of 11 cases were expired and the rest of 6 cases[54.5%]were survived with complete accomplishment of surgical procedures and satisfactory healing in 4 cases and interruption of follow up in 2 cases because of poor economical condition of the patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.395-398
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• 2017

A 71-year-old man presented with a productive cough and fever, and he was diagnosed as having an esophageal perforation and a mediastinal abscess. He had a history of traumatic hemothorax and pleural drainage for empyema in the right chest and was considered unable to tolerate thoracic surgery because of sepsis and progressive aspiration pneumonia. In order to aggressively drain the mediastinal contamination, we performed internal drainage by placing a Levin tube into the mediastinum through the perforation site. This procedure, in conjunction with controlling sepsis and providing sufficient postpyloric nutrition, allowed the esophageal injury to completely heal.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.349-354
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• 1993

From July 1992 through January 1993, 11 patients with unstable angina received aorto-coronary bypass surgery at Dong-A University Hospital. There were 5 males and 6 females whose age ranged from 36 to 76 years old. Of the 11 patients, 3 were Functional class IL 5 were Functional class 111.3 were Functional class IV. Preoperative coronary angiography showed a significant stenosis of the left anterior descending artery in 9 cases, of its diagonal branch in I case, of the circumfiex artery in 3 cases, and of its obtuse marginal branch in 2 cases, of the right coronary artery in 4 cases, and of left main coronary artery in 3 cases. There were 4 cases of single vessel disease, 1 double vessel disease, 3 triple vessel disease and 3 left main disease. A single graft was placed in 1 patient, a double graft in 5, a triple graft in 2, and a quadriple graft in 3 patients. Left internal mammary artery plus saphenous vein graft were used in 4 patients. Postoperative complications were mediastinitis in 1, sternal instability in 2, pneumonia in 1, arrythmia in I case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.598-602
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• 1994

We have experinced 20 cases of esophageal perforation from April, 1987 to August, 1993 at ourdivision of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University, Gu Ro Hospital. Here we investgates the causes of disease, symptoms and sign, locations, time lag from onset, treatment of perforation and the results.The ratio between male and female patients was 12: 8, and age ranged from 4 years to 70 years old.The cause of esophageal perforation were instrumental trauma 7 cases, stab wound 4 cases, foreign body 4 cases, spontaneous perforations 3 cases, and others 1 cases. The middle and lower portions of esophagus was frequently involved portion in our cases [11 cases of 20].The common complications after perforation were mediastinitis [6 cases] and empyema [2 cases].The method of treatment were as follows, primary repair of perforation, simple drainge techniques including simple cervical drainage and closed thoracostomy, diversion and two-staged operations during several months. There was no mortality in our cases.