• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.4
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• pp.245-250
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• 2023

The healing process of tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TB) results in tracheobronchial fibrosis causing airway stenosis in 11% to 42% of patients. In Korea, where pulmonary TB is still prevalent, post-TB tracheobronchial stenosis (PTTS) is one of the main causes of benign airway stenosis causing progressive dyspnea, hypoxemia, and often life-threatening respiratory insufficiency. The development of rigid bronchoscopy replaced surgical management 30 years ago, and nowadays PTTS is mainly managed by bronchoscopic intervention in Korea. Similar to pulmonary TB, tracheobronchial TB is treated with combination of anti-TB medications. The indication of rigid bronchoscopy is more than American Thoracic Society (ATS) grade 3 dyspnea in PTTS patients. First, the narrowed airway is dilated by multiple techniques including ballooning, laser resection, and bougienation under general anesthesia. Then, most of the patients need silicone stenting to maintain the patency of dilated airway; 1.5 to 2 years after indwelling, the stent could be removed, this has shown a 70% success rate. Acute complications without mortality develop in less than 10% of patients. Subgroup analysis showed successful removal of the stent was significantly associated with male sex, young age, good baseline lung function and absence of complete one lobe collapse. In conclusion, rigid bronchoscopy could be applied to PTTS patients with acceptable efficacy and tolerable safety.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2009

A 57 year old human immune virus(HIV)-positive male presented with a progressive dyspnea for 6 months. Chest CT showed multiple polypoid masses arising from upper tracheal wall. Bronchoscopic examination revealed that multiple large cauliflower-like polypoid tumors was obstructing tracheal lumen. They were diagnosed as multiple squamous papillomas and were removed by Nd:YAG laser photocoagulation and rigid bronchoscopic treatment. The tumors were histologically diagnosed as squamous papilloma infected with human papilloma virus(HPV) type 6 and 11 in in-situ hybridization. Rigid bronchoscopy might be safer and more efficient than flexible bronchoscopy for the treatment of multiple tracheal papillomatosis obstructing tracheal lumen because of easy establishment of airway patency and direct use of rigid bronchoscope itself for tumor resection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.140-144
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• 2009

The majority of flexible bronchoscopies are performed under topical anesthesia with lidocaine being the most commonly used agent. Anaphylaxis rarely occurs after local administration of lidocaine, but can be a fatal complication. We experienced a case of unexpected anaphylaxis. A 66-year-old woman was scheduled for flexible bronchoscopy to evaluate a tracheal mass and stenosis. The oral and nasal mucosa were pretreated with lidocaine. About 2~3 minutes later, the patient developed hypotension and we treated for anaphylaxis in the emergency room. Then, we decided to perform rigid bronchoscopy in this patient, under conditions of general anesthesia. A rigid bronchoscopy was performed in this patient, safely and successfully. The tracheal mass was determined to be squamous cell carcinoma.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 2008

Hamartoma is one of the most common benign lung tumors. Most of them are located in the lung parenchyme, but very rarely it can originate endobronchially. Endobronchial hamartoma may cause irreversible lung damage due to the bronchial obstruction if it is not diagnosed and treated properly. The most frequent clinical features are hemoptysis and obstructive pneumonia. Transbronchial endoscopic surgery is a good therapeutic choice and is recommended first for patients who have resectable small endobronchial hamartoma. Here, we report a case of endobronchial hamartoma treated with rigid bronchoscopy and various microforceps with a review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 1978

Two hundred and seventeen patients underwent diagnostic rigid bronchoscopy or bionchofiberscopy to evaluate the cytologic diagnosis in the lung cancer patient at the department of chest surgery of Yon-Sei university, college of the medicine from 1971 to 1977 year. One hundred and twenty cases of these patients were taken rigid bronchoscopy and ninety four cases of these patient were taken bronchofiberscopy. Cytologic examination of the sputum was done in 214 cases and sputum cytology was positive in 50 cases [23.4%]. Rigid bronchoscopy was made in 120 cases and this bronchoscopic cytology including bronchial washing and bronchial biopsy was positive in 34 cases [28.5%]. Bronchofiberscopy was performed in 94 cases and was positive in 45 cases [47.5%]. Histopathologically, 41 cases [43.6%] were epidermoid cell carcinoma, 8 cases [8.5%]of undifferentiated cell type, 12 cases [12.8%]of adenocarcinoma, 8 cases [8.5%]of alveolar cell type, and the 25 cases were undetermined. Cytologic examination of the sputum lacks the accuracy of the bronchoscopies in terms of both localization and accurate histologic indentification of the type of neoplasm. Rigid bronchoscope has the advantage of permitting identification of a tumor in a central location and of providing a sufficient amount of biopsy material for accurate diagnosis of carcinoma. However, it has the disadvantage of limiting examination to the larger, more central portions of the tracheobronchial tree. Bronchofiberscope had the advantage of examine upper lobe as well as other portions of the tracheobronchial tree which could not be visualized with the rigid bronchoscopy. A positive diagnosis in bronchofiberscopy was obtained in the highest rate, 47. 8% [45 cases]. A1 last, if a bronchogenic carcinoma is suspected on the basis of either symptoms of an abnormality on the chest film the diagnostic work-up-sputum cytology, bronchial washing, bronchoscopic biopsy, scalene node biopsy, thoracentesis and mediastinoscopy explothoracotomy etc-should precede in an attempt not only to obtain the higher positive diagnosis but also to obtain a tissue diagnosis and to evaluate the stage of the disease and to ascertain the appropriate mode of therapy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.6
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• pp.486-492
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• 2012

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze clinical situations requiring rigid bronchoscopy and evaluate usefulness of rigid bronchoscopic intervention in benign or malignant airway disorders. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 29 patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy from November 2007 to February 2011 at St. Paul's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine. Results: Of the 29 patients, the most frequent underlying etiology was benign stenosis of trachea (n=20). Of those 20 patients, 16 had post-intubation tracheal stenosis (PITS), 2 had tracheal stenosis due to inhalation burn (IBTS) and other 2 had obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane (OFTP). Other etiologies were airway malignancy (n=6), endobronchial stenosis due to tuberculosis (n=2), and foreign body (n=1). For treatment, silicone stent insertion was done in 16 cases of PITS and IBTS and mechanical removal was performed in 2 cases of OFTP. In 6 cases of malignant airway obstruction mechanical debulking was performed and silicone stents were inserted additionally in 2 cases. Balloon dilatation and electrocautery were used in 2 cases of endobronchial stenosis due to tuberculosis. In all cases of stent, airway obstructive symptom improved immediately. Granulation tissue formation was the most common complication. Conclusion: Tracheal stenosis was most common indication and silicone stenting was most common procedure of rigid bronchoscopy in our center. Rigid bronchoscopic procedures, at least tracheal silicone stenting, should be included in pulmonary medicine fellowship programs because it is a very effective and indispensable method to relieve critical airway obstruction which needs training to learn.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.3
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• pp.174-177
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• 2012

Primary endobronchial schwannomas are extremely rare tumors that originate from Schwann cells. We report a case of primary endobronchial schwannoma. A 44-year-old woman, without respiratory symptoms, was presented with a nodule in the left main bronchus on her chest computed tomography scan. The nodule was removed by a rigid bronchoscopy with argon plasma coagulation. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma. There was no recurrence during her 4-month follow-up.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 1996

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2009

Background and Objectives: Foreign bodies of upper aerodigestive tract are common problem for primary care physicians. Delayed diagnosis or failure of removal might cause fatal problemsand complications. Therefore proper diagnosis and management is imperative. In this study, we described clinical features of upper aerodigestive tract foreign body, and analyzed efficacy of different management modality. Materials and Methods: 250 cases of foreign bodies in the esophagus and trachea, between Jan. 1998 through Jan. 2009 has been retrospectively analyzed. A total of 24 cases and 226 cases had been found each as airway foreign bodies and esophageal foreign bodies. The clinical features are described and treatment outcomes, prognosis, and rate of complications of each management modality have been compared. Results: In airway foreign bodies, ventilating bronchoscopy yielded better results, 19 success out of 19 trials than fiberoptic bronchoscopy, 3 success out of 5 trials. Hospitalization days after removal of foreign body didn't show difference between two treatment modalities, although patients who had ventilating bronchoscopy had gone through general anesthesia. And there was no complication after removal of foreign body. In esophageal foreign bodies, rigid esophagoscope yielded better results, 99% of successful removal rate, compared to the EGD, only 78% of successful removal rate. There was no difference of hospitalization days between two modalities. And complication rate was even low in patients who had done rigid esophagoscopic foreign body removal. Conclusion: In upper aerodigestivetract foreign body. Rapid diagnosis and successful foreign body removal is important. Removal by rigid scope(ventilating bronchoscope, rigid esophagoscope) revealed less failure in both airway and esophageal foreign bodies.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1983.05a
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• pp.9.1-9
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• 1983

By the technological improvement of bronchoscopy, radiology, and biochemical analysis, the broncholithiasis can be easily diagnosed. But because of its low incidence it has been frequently overlooked in the differential diagnosis of bronchial obstruction, thereby losing the opportunity of early detection and causing complications which are mandatory to surgical intervention. The authors had a case of broncholithiasis which was diagnosed by radiological study of chest and fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and was removed under rigid bronchoscopy.