• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.71 no.4
• /
• pp.278-281
• /
• 2011

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a complex clinical entity resulting from an allergic immune response to Aspergillus species, and most often occurs in patients with asthma. ABPA is rarely observed in the absence of asthma, which is, in fact, the principal criterion for its diagnosis. Our patient was a 53-year-old woman with no history of bronchial asthma. She presented with a 1-month history of cough, mucopurulent nasal discharge, and localized pulmonary consolidation. Peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE were observed. Sinus radiography showed right maxillary sinusitis. Pathologic examination of bronchoscopic biopsy specimens revealed conglomerates of fungal hyphae. Pulmonary function and bronchial provocation tests were within normal ranges. The patient was successfully treated for 3 months with itraconazole and oral prednisolone. There has been no evidence of recurrence over a 7-month follow-up. ABPA coupled with sinusitis in a nonasthmatic patient is a very rare occurrence and warrants reporting.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.16-22
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second ($FEV_1$), $FEV_1$/FVC according to obesity in young adult women. Method: Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat (PBF) were obtained by using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Neck circumference (NC), waist circumference (WC) and spirometric values (FVC, $FEV_1$, $FEV_1$/FVC) were obtained for 135 women college students who were healthy and non smokers. Results: Mean BMI and PBF were $21.8kg/m^2$ and 30.5%. Obesity prevalence according to BMI and PBF were respectively 13.3%, and 50.9%. Lean body mass (LBM) was positively correlated with FVC, $FEV_1$, and PBF was negatively correlated with FVC, $FEV_1$ and $FEV_1$/FVC. FVC and $FEV_1$ of the underweight or obese group were lower than those of normal weight group. Conclusion: PBF, but not BMI, is negatively associated with pulmonary function in women college students.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.60 no.6
• /
• pp.631-637
• /
• 2006

Background: Patients with COPD generally complain of very different degrees of dyspnea regardless of their pulmonary function. The study, we assessed the right ventricular ejection fraction in relation to dyspnea in COPD patient. Methods: The pulmonary function including the diffusion capacity was measured. The right ventricle ejection fraction (RVEF) was measured using a first-pass radionuclide scan by multigated acquisition (MUGA). Forty patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were stratified for dyspnea according to the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Moderate dyspnea and severe dyspnea is defined as MRC 2/3 (n = 16) and MRC 4/5 (n = 24) respectively. Results: The baseline pulmonary function tests including DLCO and the resting arterial blood gas were similar in the moderate and severe dyspnea group, with the exception of the residual volume (% predicted) (moderate $160{\pm}27$, severe $210{\pm}87$, p < 0.03). The right ventricle ejection fraction was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in the severe dyspnea group ($25{\pm}8$) than in the moderate group ($35{\pm}6$). The independent factor assessed by multiple logistic regression revealed only the severity of dyspnea to be significantly associated with RVEF (p < 0.02). Conclusion: This study showed that the right ventricle ejection fraction would contributes to severity of dyspnea in patients with a similar pulmonary function.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.1-25
• /
• 1967

In 20 normal cases and 39 pulmonary tuberculosis cases, regional pulmonary arterial blood flow measurements and lung perfusion scans by $^{131}I$-Macroaggregated albumin, lung inhalation scans by colloidal $^{198}Au$ and spirometries by respirometer were done at the Radiological Research Institute. The measured lung function tests were compared and the results were as the following: 1. The normal distribution of pulmonary blood flow was found to be $54.5{\pm}2.82%$ to the right lung and $45.5{\pm}2.39%$ to the left lung. The difference between the right and left pulmonary arterial blood flow was significant statistically (p<0.01). In the minimal pulmonary tuberculosis, the average distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow was found to be $52.5{\pm}5.3%$ to the right lung and $47.5{\pm}1.0%$ to the left lung when the tuberculous lesion was in the right lung, and $56.2{\pm}4.4%$ to the right lung and $43.8{\pm}3.1%$ to the left lung when the tuberculous lesion was in the left lung. The difference of pulmonary arterial blood flow between the right and left lung was statistically not significant compared with the normal distribution. In the moderately advanced pulmonary tuberculosis, the average distripution of pulmonary arterial blood flow was found to be $26.9{\pm}13.9%$ to the right lung and $73.1{\pm}13.9%$ to the left lung when the tuberculous lesion was more severe in the right lung, and $79.6{\pm}12.8%$ to the right lung and $20.4{\pm}13.0%$ to the left lung when the tuberculous lesion was more severe in the left lung. These were found to be highly significant statistically compared with the normal distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow (p<0.01). When both lungs were evenly involved, the average distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow was found to be $49.5{\pm}8.01%$ to the right lung and $50.5{\pm}8.01%$ to the left lung. In the far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis, the average distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow was found to be $18.5{\pm}11.6%$ to the right lung and $81.5{\pm}9.9%$ to the left lung when the tuberculous lesion was more severe in the right lung, and $78.2{\pm}8.9%$ to the right lung and $21.8{\pm}10.5%$ to the left lung when the tuberculous lesion was more severe in the left lung. These were found to be highly significant statistically compared with the normal distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow (p<0.01). When both lungs were evenly involved the average distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow was found to be $56.0{\pm}3.6%$ to the right lung and $44.0{\pm}3.2%$ to the left lung. 2. Lung perfusion scan by $^{131}I$-MAA in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was as follows: a) In the pretreated minimal pulmonary tuberculosis, the decreased area of pulmonary arterial blood flow was corresponding to the chest roentgenogram, but the decrease of pulmonary arterial blood flow was more extensive than had been expected from the chest roentgenogram in the apparently healed minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. b) In the pretreated moderately advanced pulmonary tuberculosis, the decrease of pulmonary arterial blood flow to the diseased area was corresponding to the chest roentgenogram, but the decrease of pulmonary arterial blood flow was more extensive in the treated moderately advanced pulmonary tuberculosis as in the treated minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. c) Pulmonary arterial blood flow in the patients with far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis both before and after chemotherapy were almost similar to the chest roentgenogram. Especially the decrease of pulmonary arterial blood flow to the cavity was usually greater than had been expected from the chest roentgenogram. 3. Lung inhalation scan by colloidal $^{198}Au$ in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was as follows: a) In the minimal pulmonary tuberculosis, lung inhalation scan showed almost similar decrease of radioactivity corresponding to the chest roentgenogram. b) In the moderately advanced pulmonary tuberculosis the decrease of radioactivity in the diseased area was partly corresponding to the chest roentgenogram in one hand and on the other hand the radioactivity was found to be normally distributed in stead of tuberculous lesion in the chest roentgenogram. c) In the far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis, lung inhalation scan showed almost similar decrease of radioactivity corresponding to the chest roentgenogram as in the minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. 4. From all these results, it was found that the characteristic finding in pulmonary tuberculosis was a decrease in pulmonary arterial blood flow to the diseased area and in general decrease of pulmonary arterial blood flow to the diseased area was more extensive than had been expected from the chest roentgenogram, especially in the treated group. Lung inhalation scan showed almost similar distribution of radioactivity corresponding to the chest roentgenogram in minimal and far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis, but there was a variability in the moderately advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. The measured values obtained from spirometry were parallel to the tuberculous lesion in chest roentgenogram.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.367-376
• /
• 1996

Background : The diagnosis of emphysema during life is based on a combination of clinical, functional, and radiographic findings, but this combination is relatively insensitive and nonspecific. The development of rapid, high-resolution third and fourth generation CT scanners has enabled us to resolve pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities with great precision. We compared the chest HRCT findings to the pulmonary function test and arterial blood gas analysis in pulmonary emphysema patients to test the ability of HRCT to quantify the degree of pulmonary emphysema. Methods : From october 1994 to october 1995, the study group consisted of 20 subjects in whom HRCT of the thorax and pulmonary function studies had been obtained at St. Mary's hospital. The analysis was from scans at preselected anatomic levels and incorporated both lungs. On each HRCT slice the lung parenchyma was assessed for two aspects of emphysema: severity and extent. The five levels were graded and scored separately for the left and right lung giving a total of 10 lung fields. A combination of severity and extent gave the degree of emphysema. We compared the HRCT quantitation of emphysema, pulmonary function tests, ABGA, CBC, and patients characteristics(age, sex, height, weight, smoking amounts etc.) in 20 patients. Results : 1) There was a significant inverse correlation between HRCT scores for emphysema and percentage predicted values of DLco(r = -0.68, p < 0.05), DLco/VA(r = -0.49, p < 0.05), FEV1(r = -0.53, p < 0.05), and FVC(r = -0.47, p < 0.05). 2) There was a significant correlation between the HRCT scores and percentage predicted values of TLC(r = 0.50, p < 0.05), RV(r = 0.64, p < 0.05). 3) There was a significant inverse correlation between the HRCT scores and PaO2(r = -0.48, p < 0.05) and significant correlation with D(A-a)O2(r = -0.48, p < 0.05) but no significant correlation between the HRCT scores and PaCO2. 4) There was no significant correlation between the HRCT scores and age, sex, height, weight, smoking amounts in patients, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and wbc counts. Conclusion : High-Resolution CT provides a useful method for early detection and quantitating emphysema in life and correlates significantly with pulmonary function tests and arterial blood gas analysis.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.273-280
• /
• 2008

The single intratracheal instillation (ITI) of bleomycin (BLM) is a widely used method for inducing experimental pulmonary fibrosis in rat model. In the present study, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) of tidal volume ($V_T$), minute volume ($V_M$), and respiratory frequency ($F_R$) have been applied to study their possibility as a tool to monitor the progress of BLM-induced lung injury in rat model. Rats were treated with a single ITI of BLM (2.5 mg/kg) or saline (control). Animals were euthanized at 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post-ITI. Lung toxicity effects were evaluated by inflammatory cell count, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and light microscopic examination of lung injury. The PFT parameters were measured immediately before the animals were sacrificed. BLM treatment induced significant cellular changes in BALF-increase in number of total cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes along with sustained increase in number of macrophages compared to the controls at days 3, 7, and 14. BALF LDH level was significantly increased compared to that in the controls up to day 14. On day 3, infiltration of neutrophils was observed in the alveolar spaces. These changes developed into marked peribronchiolar and interstitial infiltration by inflammatory cells, and extensive thickening of the interalveolar septa on day 7. At 14, 21, and 28 days, mild peribronchiolar fibrosis was observed along with inflammatory cell infiltration. The results of PFT show significant consistencies compared to the results of other toxicity tests. These data demonstrate that the most suitable time point for assessing lung fibrosis in this model is 14 days post-ITI of BLM based on the observation of fibrosis at 14, 21, and 28 days. Further, the progress of lung injury can be traced by monitoring the PFT parameters of $F_R$, $V_T$, and $V_M$.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.381-387
• /
• 1999

Purpose: The International Labor Organization (ILO) has established an international standard for chest X-ray diagnosis of pneumoconiosis since 1980. However, there is a need for improved diagnosis and staging in occupational disease. We evaluated Ga-67 citrate scintigraphy quantitatively and correlated the scintigraphic findings with pulmonary function tests and chest X-ray results. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five patients underwent whole body scintigraphy with additional chest and abdomen images 48 hrs after intravenous injection of 185 MBq of Ga-67 citrate. Ten normal controls were also studied. Regions of interest (ROI) were drawn on the posterior image to measure counts from the liver and lungs (Lung/Liver Ratio). Results: L/L ratio according to the stages of chest X-ray classification were as follows; stage 0 (normal, n=10): $0.3948{\pm}0.0692$, stage 1 (n=10): $0.5763{\pm}0.1537$, stage 2 (n=11), $0.6849{\pm}0.1459$, stage 3 (n=4) $0.9913{\pm}0.0712$. There was a significant correlation between the scintigraphic L/L ratio and the X-ray stage (r=0.618, p<0.05). However, no significant correlation between L/L ratio and pulmonary function tests were observed (p>0.05). Conclusion: Quantitative Ga-67 scintigraphy can be a useful method for staging of silicosis. However, it is not a method to assess pulmonary functional impairment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.80 no.4
• /
• pp.385-391
• /
• 2017

Background: Men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, have reduced endogenous testosterone levels, but the relationship between pulmonary function and endogenous testosterone levels, is inconsistent. Testicular volume is a known indicator of endogenous testosterone levels, male fertility, and male potency. In the present study, the authors investigated the relationship, between testicular volume and lung function. Methods: One hundred and eighty-one South Korean men age 40-70, hospitalized for urological surgery, were retrospectively enrolled, irrespective of the presence of respiratory disease. Study subjects underwent pulmonary function testing, prior to procedures, and testicular volumes were measured by orchidometry. Testosterone levels of patients in blood samples collected between $7{\small{AM}}$ and $11{\small{AM}}$, were measured by a direct chemiluminescent immunoassay. Results: The 181 study subjects were divided into two groups, by testicular volume (${\geq}35mL$ vs. <35 mL), the larger testes group, had better lung functions (forced vital capacity [FVC]: $3.87{\pm}0.65L$ vs. $3.66{\pm}0.65L$, p=0.037; forced expiratory volume in 1 second [$FEV_1$]: $2.92{\pm}0.57L$ vs. $2.65{\pm}0.61L$, p=0.002; FVC % predicted: $98.2{\pm}15.2%$ vs. $93.8{\pm}13.1%$, p=0.040; $FEV_1$ % predicted: $105.4{\pm}19.5%$ vs. $95.9{\pm}21.2%$, p=0.002). In addition, the proportion of patients with a $FEV_1/FVC$ of <70%, was lower in the larger testes group. Univariate analysis conducted using linear regression models, revealed that testicular volume was correlated with FVC (r=0.162, p=0.029), $FEV_1$ (r=0.218, p=0.003), $FEV_1/FVC$ (r=0.149, p=0.046), and $FEV_1$ % predicted (r=0.178, p=0.017), and multivariate analysis using linear regression models, revealed that testicular volume was a significant predictive factor for $FEV_1$ % predicted (${\beta}=0.159$, p=0.041). Conclusion: Larger testicular volume was independently associated, with favorable indices of lung function. These results suggest that androgens, may contribute to better lung function.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.85 no.1
• /
• pp.56-66
• /
• 2022

Background: Because the etiologies of bronchiectasis and related diseases vary significantly among different regions and ethnicities, this study aimed to develop a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis in South Korea. Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to develop expert consensus statements on a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis in South Korea. Initial statements proposed by a core panel, based on international bronchiectasis guidelines, were discussed in an online meeting and two email surveys by a panel of experts (≥70% agreement). Results: The study involved 21 expert participants, and 30 statements regarding a diagnostic bundle for bronchiectasis were classified as recommended, conditional, or not recommended. The consensus statements of the expert panel were as follows: A standardized diagnostic bundle is useful in clinical practice; diagnostic tests for specific diseases, including immunodeficiency and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, are necessary when clinically suspected; initial diagnostic tests, including sputum microbiology and spirometry, are essential in all patients with bronchiectasis, and patients suspected with rare causes such as primary ciliary dyskinesia should be referred to specialized centers. Conclusion: Based on this Delphi survey, expert consensus statements were generated including specific diagnostic, laboratory, microbiological, and pulmonary function tests required to manage patients with bronchiectasis in South Korea.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.778-788
• /
• 2017

Objective: We conducted this study to report the clinical manifestations of integrative treatment with Korean and conventional medicines in a patient with acute hepatitis A after conventional medicine therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia. Methods: A patient was treated with herbal medicine, western medicine, and moxibustion. The liver function tests (GOT, GPT, ALP, ${\gamma}-GT$), total bilirubin, and 4-scale scoring (none, mild, moderate, and severe) of symptoms were used to assess any improvement in symptoms. Results and Conclusion: The symptoms at the time of admission were improved. The levels of GOT, GPT, ALP, ${\gamma}-GT$, and total bilirubin were decreased in laboratory tests. We obtained positive effects for the integrative treatment of acute hepatitis A.