• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.5
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• pp.266-272
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• 2012

Background: Limited data on the incidence and clinical characteristics of adult pertussis infections are available in Korea. Methods: Thirty-one hospitals and the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated to investigate the incidence and clinical characteristics of pertussis infections among adults with a bothersome cough in non-outbreak, ordinary outpatient settings. Nasopharyngeal aspirates or nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture tests. Results: The study enrolled 934 patients between September 2009 and April 2011. Five patients were diagnosed as confirmed cases, satisfying both clinical and laboratory criteria (five positive PCR and one concurrent positive culture). Among 607 patients with cough duration of at least 2 weeks, 504 satisfied the clinical criteria of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (i.e., probable case). The clinical pertussis cases (i.e., both probable and confirmed cases) had a wide age distribution ($45.7{\pm}15.5$ years) and cough duration (median, 30 days; interquartile range, 18.0~50.0 days). In addition, sputum, rhinorrhea, and myalgia were less common and dyspnea was more common in the clinical cases, compared to the others (p=0.037, p=0.006, p=0.005, and p=0.030, respectively). Conclusion: The positive rate of pertussis infection may be low in non-outbreak, ordinary clinical settings if a PCR-based method is used. However, further prospective, well-designed, multicenter studies are needed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.497-509
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• 2006

Until recently, the tuberculin skin test (TST) has been the only tool available for diagnosing a latent TB infection. However, the development of new diagnostic tools, using the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific early secreted antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) antigens, should improve the control of tuberculosis (TB) by allowing a more accurate identification of a latent TB infection (LTBI). Antigen-specific interferon-gamma ($IFN-{\gamma}$) assays have greater specificity in BCG-vaccinated individuals, and as less biased by nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. Many comparative studies have suggested that those assays have a higher specificity than the TST, and the sensitivity of these assays are expected to remarkably improved if more MTB-specific antigens can become available. Nevertheless, the major obstacle to the widespread use of these tests is the limited financial resources. Similar to other diagnostic tests, the predictive value of $IFN-{\gamma}$ assays depends on the prevalence of a MTB infection in the population being tested. Therefore, prospective studies will be meeded to establish the applicability of these new assays at multiple geographic locations among patients of different ethnicities, and to determine if the $IFN-{\gamma}$ responses can indicate those with a high risk of progressing to active TB.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.210-215
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• 2004

Pulmonary aneurysm is a rare vascular anomaly.Infection is one of major causes of pulmonary aneurysms. Pulmonary aneurysm by pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare case. Our case is maybe the first case in Korea,so far similar case has not been reported Worldwide written in English. We describe a 73-year-old man with aneurysm of pulmonary artery caused by actinomycosis infection on lung. We detected aneurysm by angiography of pulmonary artery, and actinomycosis infection was revealed by confirm sulfur granules on specimens taken by percutaneous needle aspiration(PCNA). Antibiotic therapy was applied to this patient and aneurym was embolized with coils.With this therapy,the patient was successfully managed and improved.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.315-320
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• 1989

Dysphagia is common symptom in patients with advanced esophageal cancer, which is not to be resected surgically. Especially when esophagorespiratory fistula is complicated, it leads to rapid deterioration and death due to pulmonary infection. Esophageal intubation relieves dysphagia as simple surgical execution and offers rapid effectiveness. For six patients with inoperable esophageal cancer including three esophago-respiratory fistulas, the palliative esophageal intubation was performed in Korea Cancer Center Hospital, in 1988. Traction technique via high gastrotomy with Celestin tube was used. Adequate palliation of dysphagia was achieved in 5 patients, but wound infection was developed in 2 patients, tube migration in 2 patients, and 2 died in hospital due to sepsis on the 16th and 42nd postoperative day, respectively. In 3 patients with esophagorespiratory fistula complicated after radiation therapy, the intubation was performed urgently and the result was satisfactory in 2 of them that the fistula was occluded successfully and aspiration or pulmonary infection was prevented.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.377-382
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• 2000

Idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia is defined as a depletion of CD4+ lymphocytes below $300/mm^3$ in the absence of HIV infection or other known causes of immunodeficiency. Many infectious diseases have been reported to be associated with idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia, and there have also been a few cases of mycobacterial infection in idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia. Until now, it has been unclear as to whether CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia is a predisposing factor for or a consequence of the mycobacterial infection. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is an uncommon disease characterized by the intraalveolar deposition of amorphous granular material that stains positive with PAS, and its association with mycobacterial infection has rarely been reported. Recently, we experienced a previously healthy young man who had been diagnosed as idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia with disseminated mycobacterium kansasii infection and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and report this case.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.1
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• pp.104-105
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• 2020

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.5 s.262
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• pp.403-406
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• 2006

Infarction of the lung usually results from pulmonary arterial obstruction. Pulmonary infarcts often become infected from bronchial contamination and may become lung abscesses, empyema, or bronchopleural fistula causing sepsis. Diagnosis is important for intensive therapy, since infection is prone to spread. Resection of the infarcted lung should be considered early in an attempt to control infection. A sixty-seven-year-old man was hospitalized with dyspnea. A computed tomographic scan of the chest showed left lower lobe infiltration and mild pleural effusion with pleural thickening. There was a thrombus in the left pulmonary artery leading from the lower lobe to the upper lobe artery. At operation, the left lower lobe was found to have complete hemorrhagic infarction. The left lower lobectomy was performed. The remaining thrombus was removed after the left main pulmonary arteriotomy. He has been followed up for 15 months and has done well with no recurrence of thrombus and infarction of the lung.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.260-263
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• 2013

Invasive aspergillosis has emerged as a major cause of life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Recently, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who have been receiving corticosteroids for a long period, and immunocompetent patients in the intensive care unit have been identified as nontraditional hosts at risk for invasive aspergillosis. Here, we report a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis after influenza in an immunocompetent patient. The patient's symptoms were nonspecific, and the patient was unresponsive to treatments for pulmonary bacterial infection. Bronchoscopy revealed mucosa hyperemia, and wide, raised and cream-colored plaques throughout the trachea and both the main bronchi. Histologic examination revealed aspergillosis. The patient recovered quickly when treated systemically with voriconazole, although the reported mortality rates for aspergillosis are extremely high. This study showed that invasive aspergillosis should be considered in immunocompetent patients who are unresponsive to antibiotic treatments; further, early extensive use of all available diagnostic tools, especially bronchoscopy, is mandatory.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.213-221
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• 1998

Pulmonary mucormycosis is an uncommon, but important opportunistic fungal infection associated with diabetes mellitus, leukemia, lymphoma and other immunocompromised states. Mucor species grow best in acidic-high glucose medium. which explaining the particular susceptibility of diabetic patient who are ketoacidic. Early consideration of this diagnosis, along with aggressive diagnostic evaluation, is critical to effective therapy and patient survival. We have experienced a case of pulmonary murcomycosis mimicking bilateral pulmonary edema on chest Xray that associated with diabetic ketoacidosis. A brief review of the literature was given.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.5
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• pp.454-457
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• 2009

Infliximab, a TNF-${\alpha}$ antagonist, has been used to treat refractory rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease and Behcet's disease. Tuberculosis (TB) is a well-known opportunistic infection in patients receiving infliximab. Therefore, patients should be screened and treated for latent or active TB infection before being administered infliximab. Recently, we encountered a case of military TB during infliximab therapy in a patient suffering from Behcet's disease and uveitis. We report this case with a review of the relevant literature.