• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.47-60
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• 1974

During the past 10 years 114 patients with empyema have been treated in hospital of Chonnam University. There were 87 males and 27 females ranging from 20 days to 70 years of age. The etiology was pyogenic pneumonia in 36.7%, tuberculosis in 22.7%, paragonimiasis in 8.8%, post-thoracotomy in 5.4%, post-trauma in 4.4%, lung abscess in 3.5%, malignancy in 3.5%, post-esophageal operation in 1.8%, and sterile in 10.5%. The over-all mortality rate was 2% [3 patients]. The majority of deaths occurred in patients with associated systemic illness [liver cirrhosis in I, and renal tuberculosis in I] and resistant tuberculosis for anti-tuberculosis drugs in one patient. Adequate drainage and obliteration of the pleural space continues to be the most important aspect of treatment and can frequently be achieved by closed chest tube thoracostomy in acute empyema especially in children. The more chronic thick-walled or loculated cavities require open drainage [open window therapy], decortication, thoracoplasty, sterilization, and myoplasty for closure of tracheobronchial fistula.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.188-192
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• 2004

Treatment of huge chronic tuberculous empyema with cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Drainage of empyemal space by closed thoracostomy in chronic tuberculous empyema is generally contraindicated because of the possibility of empyema necessitatis and ascending infection. But in case that serious cardiopulmonary dysfunction is present, drainage of empyema and decompression is necessary. We experienced a case in which chronic tuberculous empyema was big enough to cause mediastinal shifting and cardiopulmonary failure. Immediate drainage of pleural cavity with tube thoracostomy was performed. Afterward, pleuropneumonectomy was done following cyclic irrigation for one month. The patient had successful postoperative course without any evidence of complication or relapse of infection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.533-538
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• 1983

The author made a clinical study of IIO cases of empyema thoracis who were diagnosed and treated at department of chest surgery, chosun university hospital, during the period of December 1979 through June 1983. 1. In age and sex distribution, 45 cases [41%] was under the age of 15 years, 65 cases [59%] was above the age of 15 years. The ratio of male to female was 2.6:1. 2. The predisposing factors were pneumonia 45 cases [41%] and pulmonary tuberculosis 40 cases [36.5%]. 3. The cardinal symptoms were dyspnea, chest pain, fever, cough in order. 4. Etiologic organisms were confirmed in 69% which requested in 87 cases. Staphylococcal infection were 19 cases, Streptococcal infection were 13 cases, pneumococcal infection were 11 cases. 5. In treatment of empyema, thoracentesis 4 cases, closed thoracotomy 50 cases, open drainage 29 cases, decortication 14 cases and thoracoplasty 13 cases. In children, only thoracentesis and closed thoracotomy was favorable result in treatment. 6. 103 cases were discharged with recovery and improvement but 7 cases were early discharged by their economic or personal condition without improved.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.731-738
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• 1989

The development of chylothorax and chylopericardium are serious and often life-threatening clinical entity. The ideal treatment of these problems is not well established to date. We reviewed our experiences with chylothorax or chylopericardium in 16 patients [17 cases] from July 1979 to May 1989. Ages ranged from 20 days to 41 years. The etiologies were traumatic in 10, congenital or idiopathic in 5, and tuberculous lymphadenopathy in one. In 8 patients, the chylothorax or chylopericardium occurred as a complication of cardiothoracic surgery. Eleven patients were treated nonoperatively with either repeated thoracenteses or chest tube drainage. Five patients underwent operative treatment: transthoracic thoracic duct ligation [three patients], thoracic duct ligation combined with decortication [one], and oversewn the defect of mediastinal pleura[one]. Duration of preoperative therapy ranged from 18 to 38 days. One of eleven [9.1 %] patients treated nonoperatively died. Of the surgically treated group, there were no deaths. All patients except one dead cured or improved either treated nonoperatively or operatively. Our experience suggests that surgical management of the chylothorax or chylopericardium is not always required, and each patient must be judged individually according to disease process.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.862-866
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• 1989

We are experienced one case of \ulcornerinchu" method operation for chronic thoracic empyema with bronchopleural fistula. A 30-years old male was admitted to our hospital because of right thoracic empyema. In spite of pleural tube drainage, the right entire lung was poorly expanded. The right upper lobectomy and decortication for visceral side of empyema peel were done but expansion of right middle and lower lobe was not enough to fill the pleural space remained Extraperiosteal detachment without performing thoracoplasty was done as the method proposed by Kinchu. The patient recovered without significant problem and the good expansion of remained lung with acceptable pulmonary function was obtained.ined.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 1970

Since the turn of the century there has been a constant search for a satisfactory method of controlling a large intrathoracic space following lobectomy. Primarily these methods consist of thoracoplasty, plombage, and phrenic nerve paralysis which are not completely satisfactory for they may result in loss of chest wall motility or diaphragmatic function. Incising the diaphragm at its periphery and resuturing to the chest wall at a level several rib spaces higher is an effective method of reducing intrathoracic space with minimal interference with pulmonary function. It is of particular value when the anticipated space problem is in the lower part of the thoracic cavity. Five cases are presented in which the diaphragm was peripherally detached and advanced to higher levels. Two cases were following lower lobectomy and three cases were following decortication for chronic empyema in which expansion was not good enough to adequately fill the space. Results in these cases were satisfactory.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.44-46
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• 2019

Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) was first described by Gorham and colleagues in 1954, but its precise mechanism and cause remain to be elucidated. In this condition, voluminous and potentially fatal chylous effusions into the thorax can occur. Herein, we describe a case of GSD in which the patient presented with massive pleural effusions and mottled osteolytic bone lesions. We performed multiple operations, including thoracic duct ligation using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomic decortication, but these procedures did not succeed in preventing recurrent pleural effusion and chest wall lymphedema. After administering sirolimus ($0.8mg/m^2$, twice a day) and propranolol (40 mg, twice a day), the process of GSD in this patient has been controlled for more than 2 years.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.336-343
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• 2019

Epilepsy surgery revealed dramatically improved seizure outcomes over medical therapy in drug-resistant epilepsy patients. Children with epilepsy, however, have multiple epileptic focuses which require multilobar resection for better seizure outcome. Multilobar resection has not only the several severe surgical complications, such as hydrocephalus and shunt-related craniosynostosis, due to intracranial volume reduction. Isolation method (disconnection surgery) was progressively studied over epileptic focus removal (resective surgery) for seizure control. This concept was first introduced for functional hemispherotomy, and its primary principle is to preserve the vital vascularized brain that is functionally disconnected from the contralateral healthy brain. Currently in most epilepsy centers, the predominant disconnection surgical methods, including functional hemispherotomy, are continually being refined and are showing excellent results. They allow the functional isolation of the hemisphere or multi-lobe, affected by severe epilepsy. This review describes recent findings concerning the indication, surgical technique, seizure outcome and complications in several disconnection surgeries including the functional hemispherotomy for refractory pediatric epilepsy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.316-325
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• 1988

Author made a clinical study of 248 cases of pleural effusion patients who were diagnosed and treated at departments of chest surgery and internal medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, during the period from Jan. 1983 to Dec. 1985. The age distribution ranged from 1 to 76 years old and the ratio of male to female was 1.38:1. The cardinal symptoms were chest pain[69.4%], dyspnea[66.1%], cough[57.7%], fever[37.1%], sputum[26.2%], general malais[13.7%] and cyanosis[1.6%] in this order. The causes of pleural effusion were pulmonary tuberculosis[42.4%], pneumonia[23.0%], malignancy[16.5%], congestive heart failure[9.3%], liver cirrhosis[2.8%] and nephrosis[2.0%] in this order. The protein in the pleural effusions was 1.61*0.90[mean*SD] gm% in transudate and 5.05*1.10[Mean*SD] gm% in exudate. In 34 cases[89.5%]out of 38 transudates, the protein was under 3 gm% and in 201 cases [95.7%] out of 210 exudates, the protein was over 3 gm%. The protein ratio of pleural effusion to serum was 0.2650.11[Mean LSD] in transudates and 0.73*0.12[Mean LSD] in exudate. The ratio under 0.5 was in 36 cases[94.8%] out of 38 transudates and over 0.5 was in 206 cases[98.1%] out of 210 exudates. The LDH in the pleural effusion was 114.7550.3[mean*SD] units / ml in transudate and 627.05325.9[mean*SD] units / ml in exudate. The LDH less than 200 units / ml was in 36 cases[94.6%] out of 38 transudates and more than 200 units / ml was in 199 cases[94.7%] out of 210 exudates. The LDH ratio of pleural effusion to serum was 0.34k 0.11[mean*SD] in transudate and 1.15*1.12[mean*SD] in exudate. The LDH ratio of pleural effusion to serum was less than 0.6 in 36 cases[94.8%]out of 38 transudates and more than 0.6 in 200 cases[95.2%] out of 210 exudates. Etiologic organisms were confirmed in 78 cases[48.1%] among the requested 162 cases. In the 78 cases of etiologic organisms, staphylococcus was 33 cases[20.3%], streptococcus 24 cases[14.8%], Klebsiella pneumonia 7 cases[4.3%], pseudomonas 6 cases[3.7%], E. coli[3.1%], enterobacter 3 cases[1.9%]. 43 patient of pleural effusion from malignancy were undergone three or more thoracenteses. In 13 cases[31.7%], three specimen were negative and in 7 cases[17.1%], three specimens were positive for malignancy. In the remaining of 21 cases[51.2%], malignant cells were found in one or more of the specimens but not in all. Methods of treatment of pleural effusion by closed thoracotomy was 188 cases[75.8%], thoracentesis 27 cases[10.9%], decortication 16 cases[6.5%], thoracoplasty 6 cases[2.4%] and decortication with thoracoplasty 3 cases[1.2%].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.475-485
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• 1980

For the past 5 year 6 months from January 1975 to June 1980, 176 patients with empyema have been treated in Chonnam University Hospital. They were 134 males and 42 females ranging from ] 8 days to 69 years of age. [mean age: 26.1 years] The duration of illness prior to treatment was relatively shorter in pediatric group than in adult group, that is, the duration of less than 1 month was 89.5% in pediatric group and 38.0% in adult group. In bacteria study there were Staphylococcus 26.1%, Streptococcus 17.6%, E. coil 10.8%, Pseudomonas 10.8%, Diplococcus pneumoniae 5.7% and Candidia. And 4 children and 3 adults had infections of two species of bacteria. The underlying pathologic lesions were pyogenic pneumonia 34.7%, tuberculosis 29.5%, paragonimiasis 15.3%, trauma 9.7% and postoperative state. The over-all mortality rate was 1.7% [3 patients]. The causes of death were sepsis In 1 child and sepsis secondary to esophageal fistula in 2 adults. Adequate drainage and obliteration of the pleural space seems to be the most important aspect of treatment and can frequently be achieved by initial tube drainage in acute empyema, especially in the pediatric group. The chronic thick walled or loculated cavities required open window therapy, decortication, resection therapy and sterilization. Modified Eloesser`s operation and 0.3-0.5% potadine irrigation brought good result in the patients who had general weakness, marked pulmonary parenchymal destruction due to pyothorax, and pyothorax with severe bronchopleural fistula.