• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 2007

Background: The causes of the pleural effusion are remained unclear in a the substantial number of patients with exudative effusions determined by an examination of the fluid obtained via thoracentesis. Among the various tools for diagnosing exudative pleural effusions, thoracoscopy has a high diagnostic yield for cancer and tuberculosis. Medical thoracoscopy can also be carried out under local anesthesia with mild sedation. The aim of this study was to determine diagnostic accuracy and safety of medical thoracoscopy. Methods: Twenty-five patients with exudative pleural effusions of an unknown cause underwent medical thoracoscopy between October 2005 and September 2006 in Konyang University Hospital. The clinical data such as age, gender, preoperative pulmonary function, amounts of pleural effusion on lateral decubitus radiography were collected. The vital signs were recorded, and arterial blood gas analyses were performed five times during medical thoracoscopy in order to evaluate the cardiopulmonary status and acid-base changes. Results: The mean age of the patients was 56.8 years (range 22-79). The mean depth of the effusion on lateral decubitus radiography (LDR) was 27.49 mm. The medical thoracoscopic pleural biopsy was diagnostic in 24 patients (96.0%), with a diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy in 9 patients (36%), malignant effusions in 8 patients (32%), and parapneumonic effusions in 7 patients (28%). Medical thoracoscopy failed to confirm the cause of the pleural effusion in one patient, who was diagnosed with tuberculosis by a pericardial biopsy. There were no significant changes in blood pressure, heart rate, acid-base and no major complications in all cases during medical thoracoscopy (p>0.05). Conclusions: Medical thoracoscopy is a safe method for patients with unknown pleural effusions with a relatively high diagnostic accuracy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 2007

Malignant pleural mesothelioma(MPM) is an uncommon neoplasm which is originated from pleural mesothelial cells. The majority of MPM is associated with prior asbestos exposure. Patients often present with chest pain and dyspnea due to pleural effusion, which might be diagnosed with tuberculous pleurisy especially in Korea. MPM is well known for its poor prognosis with a median survival time of less than 12 months after diagnosis and no established standard treatment modality. We report 3 cases of MPM confirmed by video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy first misdiagnosed as tuberculous pleurisy.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 1999

Angiosarcomas are rare tumors, seen most commonly in the skin and soft tissue of head and neck legion. But it has been described in numerous body sites including thyroid, breast, liver, spleen, bone, etc.. Their biological behaviors depend on the microscopic grade, site of origin, and multifocality. We report the unique cytological features of an angiosarcoma in pleural fluid. A 61-year-old woman presented with a 6 month history of dyspnea on exertion and chest pain. Chest computerized tomography(CT) revealed multiple subpleural small nodules in the right lung and widespread all space consolidation and pleural effusion in the left lung. CT of liver revealed multiple small low attenuated lesion. The smears obtained from pleural fluid showed hypocellularity with a hemorrhagic background. The tumor cells were highly pleomorphic oval or spindle in shape and presented singly, in loose groups, in knitted syncytial aggregates, and in acinar pattern. Their nuclei had vesicular chromatin with delineated, thick nuclear membranes and occasionally a large eosinophilic, prominent nucleolus. The cytoplasm was plump, thin or protected in spindly fashion. Almost ail tumor cells showed variable sized intracytoplasmic vacuoles and their nuclei were sometimes crescentic by a huge vacuole. Occasional binucleated tumor cells and mitotic figures were present. Cellular debris and streaky materials were identified. Needle biopsy specimen from the pleura revealed anastomosing slit-like spaces lined by pleomorphic tumor cells. The tumor cells showed a strong reactivity for CD31 and vimentin and focal weak reactivity for factor VIII-related antigen.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.258-264
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• 2001

A 26-year-old man with a one-year history of asthma and sinusitis presented with bilateral pleural effusions, patch basilar infiltrates on a chest x-ray and a pericardial effusion on an echocardiogram. The peripheral blood showed marked eosinophilia. An obstructive pattern was also observed during the pulmonary fuction test, which was responsive to bronchodilator inhalation. Nerve conduction studies showed right sural neuropathy. Thoracentesis yielded an acidotic exudative effusion with low glucose, low $C_3$ and eosinophilia. An open lung biopsy revealed an eosinophilic interstitial pneumonitis associated with a necrotizing eosinophilic vasculitis, and granulomatous inflammation foci. In the literature, pleural effusions were reported in 29 percent of Churg-Strauss patients, but the number of effusions was low and their characteristics have not been well described. This report describes the characteristic findings of pleural fluid and its histologic features in a case of classical Churg-Strauss syndrome.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.127-131
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• 2001

Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis is a disease involving the proliferation of atypical smooth muscle cells from the perilymphatics, peribronchial and perivascular region of the lung and the retroperitneum. The disease usually affects women of child-bearing age. We recently experienced a case of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis in a 31-year-old women who had suffered from a chylous pleural effusion. Histologic confirmation of lymphangioleiomyomatosis Was made upon a video-associated thoracoscopic lung biopsy. Here we report this case with a brief review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.522-530
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• 1984

During a 12-month period, 31 patients underwent diagnostic and therapeutic thoracoscopy for previously undiagnosed thoracic diseases. In all patient, the diagnosis had been unobtainable by the usual diagnostic modalities of thoracentesis, closed pleural biopsy, bronchoscopy, or mediastinoscopy. The patients ranged from 4 years to 84 years old. One procedure was performed for mediastinal mass, 8 for parenchymal lesions, 21 for pleural diseases, and 1 for diaphragmatic disease. A correct diagnosis was obtained by thoracoscopy in 31 procedures for a 90% overall accuracy rate. There was no clinically significant morbidity in this series and no procedure-related mortality. Thoracoscopy, performed under intercostal nerve block and regional anesthesia, has proved to be a very attractive method of the diagnosis of thoracic disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.486-491
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• 2007

Background: This study examined the relationship between the pleural adenosine deaminase (ADA) level and the patterns of pleural enhancement in patients with a tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) shown on a CT scan. Methods: The charts and CT findings of 44 patients with TPE from February 2002 to October 2006 were reviesed retrospectively. A diagnosis of TPE was made by the pleural ADA level with a follow-up (24/44), sputum smear or culture of sputum (16/44), pleural fluid culture (3/44) or pleural biopsy (1/44). The patients were divided into two groups according to the ADA level(Group I [n=12]: 40-70, Group II [n=32]: >70 U/L). The presence or absence, maximal thickness and patterns of pleural enhancement were analyzed. The pattern of pleural enhancement was classified into diffuse or focal, smooth or irregular and interrupted or continuous. The difference in CT findings between groups I and group II were analyzed using an unpaired T test, Chi-square test and Z test. Results: All 44 patients showed diffuse pleural enhancement on the CT scans. The maximal pleural thickness of groups I and II was $1.83{\pm}1.03mm$ (1-4 mm) and $3.63{\pm}1.78mm$ (1-8 mm), respectively (p =0.0002). Pleural thickening ${\geq}5mm$ was only demonstrated in 31.3% of patients in group II (10/32). Diffuse interrupted pleural thickening was noted in 91.7% (11/12) of patients in group I and 62.5% (20/32) in group II, respectively. Diffuse continuous pleural thickening was observed in 8.3% (1/12) of patients in group I and 37.5% (12/32) in group II, respectively (p=0.0748). Conclusion: Pleural thickening ${\geq}5mm$ on the contrast enhanced CT is rare in patients with lymphocyte-dominant TPE in whom the pleural ADA level is between 40-70 U/L.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.6
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• pp.320-324
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• 2012

A 55-year-old woman was admitted for an elevated serum carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA-125) level, and a left pleural effusion, which were detected at a routine health examination. Computed tomography of the chest was performed upon admission, revealing extensive bilateral paratracheal and mediastinal lymph node enlargement with a massive left-sided pleural effusion. Subsequent analysis of the pleural fluid demonstrated consistency with an exudate, no evidence of malignant cells, and a normal adenosine deaminase. However, the pleural fluid and serum CA-125 levels were 2,846.8 U/mL and 229.5 U/mL, respectively. A positron emission tomography did not reveal any primary focus of malignancy. Finally, a surgical mediastinoscopic biopsy of several mediastinal lymph nodes was performed, revealing non-necrotizing granulomas, consistent with sarcoidosis. After a month of treatment of prednisolone, the left pleural effusion had resolved, and after 2 months the serum CA-125 level was normalized.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.695-702
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• 1995

Background: Since polymerase chain reaction(PCR) was devised by Saiki in 1985, it has been used extensively in various fields of molecular biology. Clinically, PCR is especially useful in situation when microbiological or serological diagnosis is limited by scanty amount of causative agents. Thus, PCR can provide rapid and sensitive way of detecting M. tuberculosis in tuberculosis pleurisy which is diagnosed in only about 60 % of cases by conventional method. Method: To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of PCR in tuberculosis pleurisy, The results of PCR was compared with those of conventional method, including pleural biopsy. The pleural effusion fluid was collected from 7 proven patients, 7 clinically suspected patients and control group(7 patients with malignant effusion). We extracted DNA from pleural fluid by modified method of Eisennach method(1991). The amplification target for PCR was 123 base pair DNA, a part of IS6110. Result: 1) Sensitivity of PCR: We detected upto 50fg DNA. 2) In patients with pleural effusion of proven tuberculosis, the positive rate of PCR was 85.7%(6/7). In patients with pleural effusion of clinically suspected tuberculosis, the positive rate was 71.5%(5/7). In control group, positive rate was 0%(0/7). Conclusion: We concluded that PCR method could be a very rapid, sensitive and specific one for diagnosis of M tuberculosis in pleural effusion. Further studies should be followed for the development of easier method.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.353-361
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• 2007

Background: Malignancies are a common and important causes of exudative pleural effusions. Several tumor markers have been studied because the pleural fluid cytology and pleural biopsy specimens do not provide a diagnosis in a high percentage of malignant effusions. In an attempt to overcome this limitation, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) in pleural effusions and serum, which are known to be inflammation markers, were measured to determine if they can differentiate an exudate from trasndate as well as the diverse causes of exudative pleural effusion. Methods: 178 consecutive patients with pleural effusion (malignant 57, tuberculous 51, parapneumonic 31, empyema 5, miscellaneous benign 7, transudative 27)were studied prospectively. The standard parameters of pleural effusion and measured serum and pleural procalcitonin were examined using in immunoluminometric assay. The level of CRP in serum and pleural fluid was determined by turbidimetric immunoassay. Results: The pleural procalcitonin levels in the exudate were significantly higher than those in the transudate, $0.81{\pm}3.09ng/mL$ and $0.12{\pm}0.12ng/mL$, respectively (p=0.007). The pleural CRP levels were significantly higher in the exudate than the transudate, $2.83{\pm}3.31mg/dL$ and $0.74{\pm}0.67mg/dL$, respectively (p<0.001). The pleural procalcitonin levels in the benign effusion were significantly higher than those in the malignant effusion, $1.15{\pm}3.82ng/mL$ and $0.25{\pm}0.92ng/mL$, respectively (p=0.032). The pleural CRP levels were significantly higher in the benign effusion than in the malignant effusion, $3.68{\pm}3.78mg/dL$ and $1.42{\pm}1.54mg/dL$, respectively (p<0.001). The pleural procalcitonin levels in the non-tuberculous effusion were significantly higher than those in the tuberculous effusion, $1.16{\pm}3.75ng/mL$ and $0.13{\pm}0.37ng/mL$, respectively (p=0.008). Conclusion: Measuring the level of procalcitonin and CRP in the pleural fluid is helpful for differentiating between transudates and exudates. In addition, it is useful for differentiating between benign and malignant pleural effusions.