• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 1996

Background : We can diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis with sputum AFB smear and culture, but sputum AFB smear has low sensitivity and culture needs long period, and they are not available in the patients who can not expectorate effectively. Recently developed, PCR is a fast diagnostic tool in tuberculosis, but false positive and false negative are important problems. So, we studied the diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR through the bronchoscopy. Methods : The 67 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 43 non-pulmonary tuberculosis patients were analyzed with their sputum specimen AFB smear and culture. Also, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage were done, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture and PCR were done. Results: 1) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of sputum AFB smear and culture were 32.8% and 57.4%, respectively. And the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture were 47.8% and 80.6%. respectively. 2) In the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 80.6% and 81.5%, respectively. 3) In the cases of sputum AFB smear-negative and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, culture, PCR, and the positive predictive value(for predicting a positive culture) of PCR were 23.1%, 100%, 88.5%, and 82.4%, respectively. 4) The specificity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR was 77.0%. 5) The median number of days between obtaining a specimen and starting therapy was 5 days for sputum AFB smear, 9 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear, 26 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid PCR, 32 days for sputum culture, 56 days for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture. Conclusion : The sensitivity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid AFB smear and culture are higher than sputum AFB smear and culture. So, the bronchoscopy must be considered for evaluating suspected cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients from whom smears of expectorated sputum do not reveal mycobacteria or from whom no sputum can be obtained. Especially, combined with PCR, it is expected that pulmonary tuberculosis can be diagnosed more rapidly and more accurately, so bronchoalveolar lavage fluid APB smear and PCR can be helpful in the early treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.645-652
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• 2006

Objective: Patients with lung cancer have a relative high risk of developing secondary primary lung cancers. This study examined the additional value of autofluorescence bronchoscopy (AFB) for diagnosing synchronous lung cancers and premalignant lesions. Methods: Patients diagnosed with lung cancer from January 2005 to December 2005 were enrolled in this study. The patients underwent a lung cancer evaluation, which included white light bronchoscopy (WLB), followed by AFB. In addition to the primary lesions, any abnormal or suspicious lesions detected during WLB and AFB were biopsied. Results: Seventy-six patients had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 23 had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In addition to the primary lesions, 84 endobronchial biopsies were performed in 46 patients. Five definite synchronous cancerous lesions were detected in three patients with initial unresectable NSCLC and in one with SCLC. The secondary malignant lesions found in two patients were considered metastatic because of the presence of mediastinal nodes or systemic involvement. One patient with an unresectable NSCLC, two with a resectable NSCLC, and one with SCLC had severe dysplasia. The detection rate for cancerous lesions by the clinician was 6.0% (6/99) including AFB compared with 3.0% (3/99) with WLB alone. The prevalence of definite synchronized cancer was 4.0% (4/99) after using AFB compared with 2.0% (2/99) before, and the staging-up effect was 1.0% (1/99) after AFB. Since the majority of patients were diagnosed with advanced disease, the subjects with newly detected cancerous lesions did not have their treatment plans altered, except for one patient with a stage-up IV NSCLC who did not undergo radiotherapy. Conclusions: Additional AFB is effective in detecting early secondary cancerous lesions and is a more precise tool in the staging workup of patients with primary lung cancer than with WLB alone.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.5-8
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• 2004

Stenosing airway disease is classified as intraluminal obstruction, extrinsic compression, and malacia by the anatomical site of the lesion. Stenting therapy is indicated for symptomatic relief of life-threatening dyspnea caused by the last two types. Airway stents are made with metal mesh and/or silicone rubber, and currently more than 20 kinds of stent are available. Among many kinds of silicone stent, the Dumon stent is mostly widely used for benign and malignant airway stenoses, but general anesthesia and rigid bronchoscopy are needed for insertion. It can be removed when the stenosing airway disease subsides completely. In many clinical studies, most patients $(85-90\%)$ improved immediately after stenting, and procedure-related mortality was low $(<3\%)$ in experienced centers. Stent displacement, mucus impaction, and granulation tissue formation are potential complications. Stenting is one of many effective therapeutic modalities for stenosing central airway disease. Careful patient selection, experiences, and continuous development of new technology will bring better results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1098-1106
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• 1991

Atelectasis may be defined as collapse of the lung due to absence of air within the alveoli. It may involve anatomic segments, lobes, or whole lungs but also may be a diffuse miliary process, as in the adult respiratory distress syndrome. The key to treatment are the anticipation and prevention of atelectasis in various clinical situations, the recognition and treatment of underlying disease, and the prompt initiation of vigorous treatment once atelectasis is found. Repeated assessment by physical examination is necessary to determine the presence of atelectasis and its response to treatment. During the period of January, 1981 to October, 1990, 100 patients with atelectasis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital. There were 70 males and 30 females ranging from 3 days to 79 years of age. The occurrence ratio of right to left side was 2.1 : 1. The underlying pathologic lesions of atelectasis were pneumonia with effusion(28), lung ca.(24), pulmonary tuberculosis(24), and chronic empyema(9), The treatment procedure for atelectasis were closed thoracostomy in 26 cases, ressection in 21 cases, therapeutic bronchoscopy in 14 cases and etc.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.498-504
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• 1991

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising in the tracheobronchial tree is an extremely rare tumor. Usually it remains as locally invasive neoplasm, although malignant change is described. Histologically, it is characterized by an admixture of vacuolated, mucus producing cells and sheets of epithelial cells with a cohesive pattern which resemble squamous cells. Its clinical and histopathological behaviors were reported as varying degrees of benign to extremely malignant. We had experienced two young patients with low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the right and left upper lobar bronchi. A 15-year-old man who had had intermittent hemoptysis for 1 year underwent right upper lobectomy. And the other 18-year-old man had suffered from obstructive pneumonitis for 6 months underwent left pneumonectomy. The postoperative courses were uneventful, and the bronchoscopy and chest CT which were done at 6 months later revealed no regional recurrence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 1976

This is a report of 8 cases cardiac arrest developed in the operating room at Jeonbug university Hospital from January 1973 to October, 1975. Four patients of cardiac arrest developed during the elective operation, 3 during the emergency operation and the remaining one, bronchoscopy for foreign body removal under the general anesthesia. Immediate closed chest cardiac massage was performed in the 7 patients and the remaining one underwent open chest cardiac massage. Five of 7 patients with the closed chest cardiac massage regained consciousness and restored respiration, but 3 patients of these survived to be discharged. Two patients who underwent pneumonectomy for multiple lung abscess and open drainage for liver abscess, were resuscitated but did survived. The Latter died from bleeding due to rupture of the liver that developed during the closed chest cardiac massage. One patient who had open chest cardiac massage survived to be discharged without any sequele. Unsuccessful resuscitation was observed in two patients, one had a complication of malignant hyperthermia with muscle rigidity during gastrectomy for ulcer perforation and another had not firm support on the back during massage.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.41-43
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• 1976

Primary tumors of trachea are rather uncommon, and few cases of direct surgical excision were reported in the literature. Recently we had the opportunity to see a patient with a benign obstructing tumor of the trachea which was confirmed as fibroma. The patient has complained of intermittent dyspnea, especially during inspiratory phase, dry cough and wheezing of a strident character for last 8 years. Bronchoscopy or bronchography were not attempted because of severe dyspnea. Trachea tomogram revealed oval mass at the terminal trachea. The right posterolateral thoracotomy was performed. Tumor, $2.5{\times}1.7cm$ in size, was located at terminal trachea and removed through right lateral tracheotomy without difficulty. Postoperatively all the symptoms and signs disappeared.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.38-40
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• 1976

Rupture of a bronchus is an unusual result of nonpenetrating trauma to the chest. This case was a 19 year old male who was a worker in the mine. The patient had sustained a compression chest injury without external wound or rib fracture. At five days after trauma, he was suffered from dyspnea and the symptom was progressively increased. Two weeks after the chest trauma, a diagnosis of left main bronchial obstruction due to traumatic bronchial rupture was made by means of bronchoscopy and bronchography. He was operated upon. The left lung was completely atelectatic and the left main bronchus was found to be transected at the level of 3cm from carina. End-to-end anastomosis of the bronchus was performed and the left lung was aerated very well. postoperative course was uneventful.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.115-119
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• 1998

Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula associated esophageal atresia usually presents in the newborn period or infancy but those without esophageal atresia are more insidious in disease process. Symptoms which include cough, hemoptysis, choking on swallowing liquids, uncommonly dysphagia, and epigastric discomfort may not begin until adult life. Most of the cases are curative unless there are serious underlying conditions. The diagnosis is usually made by gastroesophagoscopy, esophagogram, bronchogram and bronchoscopy. And the most of the cases can be cured by fistulectomy and resection of involved pulmonary lobes. We experienced one case of congenital bronchoesophageal fistula which occurred in a 13- year-old girl who complained of paroxysmal cough and intermittent hematemesis for 3 years.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.522-530
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• 1984

During a 12-month period, 31 patients underwent diagnostic and therapeutic thoracoscopy for previously undiagnosed thoracic diseases. In all patient, the diagnosis had been unobtainable by the usual diagnostic modalities of thoracentesis, closed pleural biopsy, bronchoscopy, or mediastinoscopy. The patients ranged from 4 years to 84 years old. One procedure was performed for mediastinal mass, 8 for parenchymal lesions, 21 for pleural diseases, and 1 for diaphragmatic disease. A correct diagnosis was obtained by thoracoscopy in 31 procedures for a 90% overall accuracy rate. There was no clinically significant morbidity in this series and no procedure-related mortality. Thoracoscopy, performed under intercostal nerve block and regional anesthesia, has proved to be a very attractive method of the diagnosis of thoracic disease.