• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1225-1233
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• 1997

Background : Cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis(CTL) is one of the most common extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Recently overall incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis has decreased, but the incidence of tuberculous lymphadenitis has not decreased. Its duration of treatment is still controversial and the pathogenesis, prognosis and relationship with other site tuberculous are poorly published. So we did a retrograde study of 120 cases of confirmed CTL about its clinical manifestations. Method : All patients were applied fine needle aspiration(FNA) of palpable enlarged cervical lymph nodes and 114 patients were examined for AFB smear and 34 patients for TB culture with aspirated fluid. 57 patients were examined Mantoux test(5TU with PPD-S). With above methods, a total of 120 patients was diagnosed as having CTL. Results : 1) CTL is most prevalent in young women between the age of 20~30 years and the incidence of CTL in female is 2.5 times higher than that of male. It is located most commonly in the posterior cervical area. The most common presenting symptom is painless palpable enlarged cervical lymph nodes. 2) With FNA of enlarged cervical lymph nodes, the percentage of histopathological positivity is 82.3%. The percentage of AFB smear positivity is 38.6%, and that of TB culture positivity is 17.6%(p<0.001). 3) Pulmonary tuberculosis is noted in 79 cases(65.8%). And 42 cases(53.5%) of them had minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. In 14 cases(11.7%), other extrapulmonary tuberculosis coexsisted and pleural tuberculosis was most Common in the order. 4) CTL was treated with anti-tuberculous medication(first line drug) and median treatment duration was 18.5months. During treatment, the size of involved lymph nodes decreased gradually in 62 cases(75.8%), newly developed lymph nodes were found in 25 cases(30.4%), fluctuation formation in 22 cases(26.8%) and fistula formation in 14 cases(17.0%). Conclusion : CTL is prevalent in women between the age of 20~40 years and it involves posterior cervical area most commonly. CTL is treated with long-term anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. We think it is one manifestation of systemic disease and frequently coexisting with pulmonary tuberculosis. Despite anti-tuberculous chemotherapy, the size of involved lymph nodes was increased, new lymph nodes were developed or fluctuation and fistula formed in involved lymph nodes. After sufficient medication, when the patient felt pressure discomfort from enlarged lymph node or fistula was formed, we recommended total excision of involved lymph nodes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.5
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• pp.441-447
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• 2012

Background: Chest tube drainage (CTD) is an indication for the treatment of pneumothorax, hemothroax and is used after a thoracic surgery. But, in the case of incomplete lung expansion, and/or persistent air leak from CTD, medical or surgical thoracoscopy or, if that is unavailable, limited thoracotomy, should be considered. We evaluate the efficacy of bronchoscopic injection of ethanolamine to control the persistent air leak in patients with CTD. Methods: Patients who had persistent or prolonged air leak from CTD were included, consecutively. We directly injected 1.0 mL solution of 5% ethanolamine oleate into a subsegmental or its distal bronchus, where it is a probable air leakage site, 1 to 21 times using an injection needle through a fiberoptic bronchoscope. Results: A total of 15 patients were enrolled; 14 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax [idiopathic 9, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 3, post-tuberculosis 2] and one case of empyema associated with broncho-pleural fistula. Of these, five were patients with persistent air leak from CTD, just after a surgical therapy, wedge resection with plication for blebs or bullae. With an ethanolamine injection therapy, 12 were successful but three (idiopathic, COPD and post-tuberculosis) failed, and were followed by a surgery (2 cases) or pleurodesis (1 case). Some adverse reactions, such as fever, chest pain and increased radiographic opacities occurred transiently, but resolved without any further events. With success, the time from the procedure to discharge was about 3 days (median). Conclusion: Bronchoscopic ethanolamine injection therapy may be partially useful in controlling air leakage, and reducing the hospital stay in patients with persistent air leak from CTD.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.769-774
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• 2001

Background: Descending necrotizing mediastinitis(DNM) is a serious complication originating in odontogenic or oropharyngeal infection with previously reported mortality rates of 25% to 40%. We retrospectively reviewed the 4 years of our surgical drainage and debridement in DNM. Material and Method: We studied 7 cases diagnosed as DNM from 1997 through 2000. Primary oropharyngeal infection lead to DNM in four cases(57%) and odontogenic abscess in three cases(43%). All patients were received emergent cervicotomy and thoracotomy or sternotomy for debridement of necrotic tissue and mediastinal or pleural drainage. Result: Five cases were evolved well and were discharged after a mean of 42 days. Two patients(28.6%) died. Three patients required reoperation due to local surgical complication; empyema(two) and impending cardiac tamponade. One of these patients died on 12 post-reoperative day due to great vessel erosion, renal and respiratory insufficiency. The other patient died of broncho- esophageal fistula and asphyxia on 10 postoperative day without reoperation. Conclusion: On the basis of experience accrued in treating these patients, early diagnosis by cervicothoracic computed tomographic scan of neck and thorax aids in rapid indication of a surgical approach of DNM. We emphasize that performing early surgical drainage and debridement of necrotic tissues with intensive postoperative care can significantly reduce the mortality rate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.839-845
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• 2003

Background: Even today when chemotherapy has been established as a treatment for tuberculosis and the prevalence of tuberculosis is gradually decreasing, multi-drug resistance tuberculosis still results in poor treatment performance and lowered survival periods. This research sought to analyze the surgery of multi-drug resistance tuberculosis, and determine the usefulness and danger of surgery in connection with this disease. Material and Method: Starting from February 1990 to February 2002, retrospective surveys were conducted targeted at 21 cases involving 20 patients who underwent surgery due to multi-drug resistance tuberculosis. The survey included 14 males cases and 6 females cases with the age averaging 42.8$\pm$12.1 years. 10.3$\pm$7.6 years on average passed after patients were initially diagnosed with tuberculosis. 13 patients (65%) tested positive in the pre-operative sputum AFB test, and all showed resistance against an average of 3.5 anti-tuberculosis agents including INH and RFP. Pre-operative radiologic examinations revealed cavitary lesions in 15 patients (75%), and three patients had lesions in the both lung fields, with the major lesions existing in the unilateral area. 13 patients (75%) failed negative conversion with medical treatment, while two patients (10%) with recurrent hemoptysis and five patients (25%) with lesions involving high recurrence-rate received the operation. Operations included nine cases (40%) of pneumonectomy, nine cases (45%) of lobectomy, and three cases of lobectomy with segmentectomy. The average follow-up period of patients stood at 23 months. Result: There was no post-operative death, and found were a total of eleven cases involving complications were found: three cases of long-term air leakage, three cases of bleeding requiring re-operation, two cases of empyemas due to broncho-pleural fistula, and one case of atelectasis, wound infection and chest wall fistula each. Eleven cases (85%) of negative conversion were completed immediately after the operation, and two cases failed negative conversion. Eleven months after the operation, the disease recurred in one case of negative conversion patients, and the patient was cured by completion pneumonectomy. Conclusion: If patients' lung function was sufficient and appropriate resection was possible, multi-drug resistance tuberculosis could achieve high-rate negative conversion and cure using combination of surgical and medical treatment, and also there were not many serious complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.9 s.254
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• pp.616-621
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• 2005

Background: In the resection of lung cancer, pneumonectomy occupied $20 {\~}35\%$ of all resections, and significantly high operative mortality is reported in right pneumonectomy ($10{\~}25\%$). The aim of this study is to identify the characteristics of morbidity, operative mortality and factors affecting operative mortality after pneumonectomy. Material and Method: This study recruited the database which performed pneumonectomy for lung cancer in Korea Cancer Center Hospital from Aug 1987 to Apr 2002. Result: Total of 386 pneumonectomies were peformed in that period. Sidedness were left in 238, right in 148; and the procedures were standard resection in 207, and extended resection in 179. Morbidity occurred in 115 cases ($29.8\%$, 115/386). Mortality occurred in 12 cases ($3.1\%$, 12 in 386). This mortality rate was similar to that of lobectomy ($2.1\%$, 13 in 613) during the same period. Morbidity consisted of 42 hoarseness, 17 (9) pneumonia and ARDS, 8 empyema, 5 (1) broncho-pleural fistula, 5 reoperation for bleeding, 5 (1) arrhythmia, 1 (1) pulmonary edema, and 25 others (The number in the parenthesis is the number of mortality case for that morbidity). Several factors affecting the operative mortality were evaluated. At first, extended procedure ($3.3\%$, 6 in 179) affected the operative mortality similar to the standard procedure ($2.9\%$, 6 in 207)(p=0.812). Second, the rate of operative mortality in an elderly group over 60 years ($5.5\%$, 10 in 182) was significantly higher than the younger group under 60 years ($1\%$, 2 in 204)(p=0.016). Third, sidedness of resection affects to operative mortality. Right pneumonectomy ($6.8\%$, 10 in 148) showed higher operative mortality than that of left pneumonectomy ($0.8\%$, 2 in 238)(p=0.002). The group over 60 years showed higher incidence of respiratory morbidity ($11.0\%$, 20 in 182) than that of the group under 60 years ($3.4\%$, 7 in 204)(p=0.005). Right pneumonectomy also showed significantly higher incidence ($11.5\%$, 17 in 148) than that of left pneumonectomy ($4.2\%$, 10 in 238)(p=0.008). Conclusion: Age and sidedness of pneumonectomy were the risk factors of operative mortality and respiratory complications, Therefore, careful selection of patients and more attention perioperatively were demanded in right pneumonectomy. However, because the operative mortality is acceptable, pneumonectomy could be done safely if the pneumonectomy is necessary for curative resection of lung cancer.