• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.573-585
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• 1999

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.469-478
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• 2007

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.5
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• pp.211-217
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• 2014

Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are the second leading cause of exudative pleural effusions after parapneumonic effusions. In the vast majority of cases, a MPE signifies incurable disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Considerable advances have been made for the diagnosis of MPEs, through the development of improved methods in the specialized cytological and imaging studies. The cytological or histological confirmation of malignant cells is currently important in establishing a diagnosis. Furthermore, despite major advancements in cancer treatment for the past two decades, management of MPE remains palliative. This article presents a comprehensive review of the medical approaches for diagnosis and management of MPE.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 1989

From December 1987 to September 1988, clinical evaluation were performed at the Yeungnam University Hospital on 138 patients with exudative pleural effusion comparing with biochemical, bacteriologic, cytologic and pathologic studies. The results were as follows 1. Among thease 138 cases, Incidence of tuberculosis was 57.3%, neoplasm 26.8%. High tendency in malignant pleural effusion occured in elder age. 2. In tuberculosis pleural effusion, the rate of positive smear and culture for acid-fast bacilli in the pleural fluid was 3.7% and positive biopsy for granuloma 75%. 3. In malignant pleural effusion, the rate of positive cytology for cancer cell in the fluid was 42% and positive biopsy 60%. 4. Analysis in tuberculosis and malignancy showed the tendency of high pH, WBC, protein and of low glucose, but there were clinically not significant in differentiating malignant pleural effusion from tuberculous pleural effusion. 5. Among 23 cases in which the pleural tissue findings were chronic nonspecific reaction pathologically, tuberculosis(52.2%), malignancy(26%) and idiopathic(21.8%) eventually in follow up studies.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.6
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• pp.286-290
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• 2013

Pigtail catheter drainage is a common procedure for the treatment of pleural effusion and pneumothorax. The most common complications of pigtail catheter insertion are pneumothorax, hemorrhage and chest pains. Cerebral air embolism is rare, but often fatal. In this paper, we report a case of cerebral air embolism in association with the insertion of a pigtail catheter for the drainage of a pleural effusion. A 67-year-old man is being presented with dyspnea, cough and right-side chest pains and was administered antibiotics for the treatment of pneumonia. The pneumonia failed to resolve and a loculated parapneumonic pleural effusion developed. A pigtail catheter was inserted in order to drain the pleural effusion, which resulted in cerebral air embolism. The patient was administered high-flow oxygen therapy and recovered without any neurologic complications.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.289-291
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• 2004

Malignant melanoma develops from melanocytes and frequently metastases to other organs. Common metastatic sites are other skin, lymph nodes, lung, liver, brain and bone in decreasing order of frequency. Malignant pleural effusion is less frequent manifestation of thoracic metastasis. We experienced a 57-year-old man with pleural effusion who received radical resection with local flap on left foot due to acral lentiginous melanoma 3 years ago. He had progressive chest pain and left massive pleural effusion. The pleural cytology and biopsy showed malignant melanoma. After closed thoracostomy and talc pleurodesis, he refused further immunotherapy and chemotherapy and discharged.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.4
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• pp.161-164
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• 2013

Eosinophilic pleural effusion (EPE) is defined as a pleural effusion that contains at least 10% eosinophils. EPE occurs due to a variety of causes such as blood or air in the pleural space, infection, malignancy, or an autoimmune disease. Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) associated with eosinophilic pleural effusion is a rare condition generally characterized by the presence of the signs and symptoms but not fulfilling the existing classification criteria. We report a case involving a 67-year-old man with UCTD and EPE, who has been successfully treated with a single intrapleural corticosteroid injection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.594-599
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• 1995

Although papillary carcinoma of the thyroid generally follows an indolent course characterized by slow growth and the absence of distant metastases, several available reports suggest that metastasis to bone and/or lung parenchyma may occur infrequently. But pleural metastases are known to be very rare, so there have been only two case reports about the pleural metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the literatures. Even the case of occult papillary thyroid carcinoma presenting as a metastatic pleural effusion has been never been reported. Recently we experienced a case with the chief complaint of dyspnea due to massive pleural effusion, the cytologic examination of which revealed the papillary carcinoma with psamomma bodies. The examination of the thyroid revealed no definite primary tumor. The total thyroidectomy was done with the plan of post-operative radioactive iodine treatment and the pathologic result confirmed the occult papillary microcarcinoma as expected. With the present case report, the extension of the clinical spectrum. of metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is expected.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.526-532
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• 2006

Backgroud: Traditionally, tuberculous pleurisy has been known to largely develop as primary tuberculosis. However, as the incidence of tuberculosis decrease, recent studies have shown reactivation tuberculosis has become the main cause of tuberculous pleurisy. Methods: 141 cases of tuberculous pleurisy, between January 2003 and February 2006, at the Dankook university hospital. were retrospectively studied. The patients were divided into primary and reactivation tuberculosis. based on the history and radiological characteristics, and the clinical, radiological characteristics at the time of diagnosis and residual pleural thickening after 6 month of chemotherapy were compared between the two groups. Results: 1. Of the 141 tuberculous pleurisy cases, in 135 it was possible to differentiate between primary and reactivation tuberculosis. 2. Of the 135 tuberculous pleurisy cases, 38 (28%) showed a primary tuberculosis pattern, and 98 (72%) showed a reactivation tuberculosis pattern. 3. There were no significant differences between primary and reactivation tuberculosis in relation to age, sex, duration of symptom, amount of pleural effusion, pleural fluid WBC, lymphocyte count, and level of protein, LDH and ADA at the time of diagnosis 4. 124 patients were followed for 6 months after diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy, and there was no significant difference in the residual pleural thickening between primary and reactivation tuberculosis. Conclusion: In South Korea, a reactivation disease is currently a more common cause of tuberculous pleurisy than a primary disease. There was no difference in the clinical characteristics between primary and reactivation tuberculosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.5
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• pp.458-461
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• 2009

A pseudochylothorax, a chyliform pleural effusion, is a rare disease of pleural effusion that contains cholesterol crystals or high lipid content that is not the result of a disrupted thoracic duct. Most of the cases were found in patients with long-standing pleural effusion due to chronic inflammatory disease, such as old tuberculous pleurisy or chronic rheumatoid pleurisy. We experienced a case of pseudochylothorax in a 74-year-old man, who was being treated for pulmonary tuberculosis and pleurisy 10 years ago. The diagnosis was confirmed on pathological study of the pleural effusion, which contained cholesterol crystals having a diagnostic rhomboid appearance.