• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.78-81
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• 2004

A 73-year-old man who had undergone a right pneumonectomy and open window thoracostomy due to tuberculous empyema, presented with purulent discharge from the previous operation site. The computed tomography of the chest showed diffuse pleural thickening and a low attenuated lesion, with air bubbles in a dependent portion of the right hemithorax. These air bubbles were revealed to be due to 7 pieces of retained surgical gauze by flexible bronchoscopy. The patient showed marked clinical improvement with diminished purulent discharge after removal of the foreign bodies.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.61-65
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• 2004

Even though nocardiosis is one of opportunistic infections, and can occur in Cushing's syndrome, it rarely occurs in patients with Cushing's disease. Herein, a case with Cushing's disease in whom nocardiosis had manifested as a pulmonary lesion, which after percutaneous needle aspiration, empyema and a breast abscess were also noted.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.404-409
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• 2005

An 86 year old woman was admitted complaining of dyspnea and right pleuritic pain with a 5 week durations. A physical examination, chest X-ray, and diagnostic thoracentesis upon admission revealed findings consistent with severe pneumonia and empyema on the right lung. Despite the insertion of a chest tube and negative suction via Emersion pump, the continuous air leakage was sustained, and a bronchopleural fistula (BPF) was found on the chest-CT. A flexible bronchoscopic occlusion with an Endobronchial Watanabe Spigot (EWS) was performed after 56 days of admission. An 5 mm diameter EWS was successfully inserted into the anterior segmental bronchus of the right upper lobe by flexible bronchoscope. There was no aAir leakage detected after this procedure. The patient was discharged 30 days after the EWS occlusion.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2005

Background : It is well-known that esophageal perforation (EP) is difficult in diagnosis and has high mortality rate despite proper management. There are disputes in regarding the reatment in cases of delayed diagnosis although in the early diagnosed cases, operation is recommended without arguments. Methods: From April, 2001 to December, 2004, nine patients who were diagnosed as EP in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively about the causes, the interval between the cause and the treatment, and operation methods. Results: There were 8 male and one female with men age of 49.3 years (range: 25-67 years). The causes of EP included perforations following operations of corvical spine in three cases, spontaneous perforation(Boehaave syndrome) in two cases, foreign bodies in two cases, operation of esophageal diverticulum in one case and blunt trauma bytraffic accident in one case. Mean interval between the first treatments and the causes was 11.6 days (range: 2-30 days). The sites of perforation were upper third of esophagus in three cases, middle third in three cases and lower third in three cases. All except two cervical cases presented as mediastinitis or empyema at the time of diagnosis. Primary repair and irrigation had been performed in 7 cases but five cases out of them required more than two procedures. Conclusions : More than one procedure wasrequired in the treatment of EP because of contaminations and infections which had been spread at the time of initial manifestatios, howeverprimary closure and massive irrigation is the best method in order to preserve esophagus unless the remaining esophagus is extensively damaged.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.504-510
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• 1992

Overall 25,095 cases of general thoracic surgery were analysed, which were performed by 48 institutes in Korea during recent 6 years[242 hospital-years]. The proportions of tumorous disease and infectious disease to be operated were 6,864 cases[27.4%] and 6,775 cases [27.0%], The most common organ involved for operation was lung-bronchus 16,542 cases [69.5%], and remainders were pleura 2,500 [10.0%], esophagus 2,433[9.7%], mediastinum 1,902[7.6%], chest wall 1,297 [5.2%], and diaphragm 421 [1.7%] in order. Among 6,864 cases of tumorous diseases, the most common causes for operation were lung-bronchus tumor 3132 cases [45.6%] and most of them were lung cancer 2,731 cases [88.7%]. In the 2,019 cases of primary lung cancer with known cell type, squamous cell carcinoma 1,296 cases [64.2%] and adenocarcinoma 460 cases [22.8%] were the most. The common types in the 1,207 cases of mediastinal tumor with known cell type were neurogenic tumor 348 cases [28.8%], thymoma 311 [25.8%], and teratoma 252[20.9%]. The annual cases of operation for tumorous disease including malignant tumor were increased steadily. Operation for infectious lung diseases [including bronchiectasis and tuberculosis] were about twice common than infectious pleural disease [i.e. empyema], and operations for tuberculous disease occupied about half cases of infectious lung disease. In 11,456 cases of other disease entities, excluding tumorous and infectious disease, there were bullous lung disease 9,074 cases[79.2%], benign esophageal disease 484[4.2%], myasthenia gravis 356[3.1%], chest wall deformity 483[4.2%], and diaphragmatic lesion 421[3. 7%] in order. We propose that above results for inquiry can be used as the basic data of general thoracic surgery in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.174-179
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• 1986

Augmentin is a formulation of amoxycillin trihydrate and potassium clavulanate, a fused beta-lactam molecule produced by the fermentation of Streptomyces clavuligerus. Most clinically important resistance is due to the production by bacteria of antibiotic destroying enzymes. In the case of penicillins and cephalosporins these enzymes are termed beta-lactamase as they destroy the beta-lectern ring of these antibiotics, completely inactivating them. The presence of clavulanic acid extends the spectrum of amoxycillin to include bet On clinical study of the intravenous Augmentin in the field of thoracic and cardiovascular surgical cases, we selected randomly 30 patients, 21 male and 9 female, age from 13 to 72, in the period from April to December 1985. Among the total 30 patients, 22 were preoperatively infected [11 thoracic empyema, 5 lobar pneumonia, 2 lung abscess, 2 bronchiectasis, one acute pyelonephritis with ureter stone and one rheumatic carditis], and 8 were not infected preoperatively [Table 1, 2]. Of the preoperatively infected group, 11 cases [50%] were culture positive [4 staphylococcus, 3 pseudomonas, 2 Serratia group, and one E. coli], and preoperatively non-infected group [8 cases] revealed expectedly negative findings on bacterial culture. All of the culture positive bacteria were sensitive to Augmentin on disc culture sensitivity test except one case of E. coli. Daily doses of intravenous Augmentin were 2.-1-6.0gm divided in 2-5 injections. Every injection administered [1.2gm at Augmentin dissolved in 20ml distilled water] slowly for more than 20 minutes. Duration of injection was variable according to the clinical conditions from minimum 5 to maximum 31 days. The results of antibiotic treatment with Augmentin and some other antibiotic combinations pre- and postoperatively were subgrouped as EXCELLENT, EFFECTIVE, and FAILURE. Clinical criteria of the therapeutic result were symptomatic, objective and laboratory improvement. 8 cases were excellent, 13 effective, and one failure among the preoperatively infected group, and all 8 cases of the preoperatively non-infected group were effective as pro;hylactive antibiotic therapy. Overall effective ratio was 97% in both subgroup. There was no side effect clinically and laboratory study including liver and kidney function test during and after the I.V. administration of Augmentin. Oral swallow tablets which were administered after discharge from hospital also revealed good effects with some degree of gastrointestinal trouble.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.371-376
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• 2007

Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI] and apparent diffusion coefficiency [ADC] in distinguishing brain abscesses from cystic or necrotic brain tumors, which are difficult to be differentiated by conventional magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Methods : Seven patients with brain abscesses and ten patients with cystic brain tumors were studied from September 2003 to October 2005. Abscess, subdural empyema and ventriculitis were categorized to the abscess group and cystic or necrotic brain gliomas or metastatic brain tumors into the tumor group. Preoperative magnetic resonance images were performed in all patients and diffusion-weighted images and apparent diffusion coefficiency values of lesions were calculated directly from software of 1.5 tesla MRI [General Electrics, USA]. The ratio of the ADC of the lesion to contralateral regional ADC was also measured [relative ADC, rADC]. Results : The average ADC value of pyogenic abscesses group was $0.82+/-0.14{\times}10^{-3}\;[mean+/-S.D.]\;mm^2/s$ and mean rADC was 0.75. Cystic or necrotic areas had high ADC values [$2.49+/-0.79{\times}10^{-3}\;mm^2/s$, mean rADC=2.14]. ADC and rADC values of abscesses group showed about three times lower values than those of cystic or necrotic tumor group. Conclusion : This study results based on numerical comparison of signal intensities and quantitative analysis to distinguish between brain abscess and cystic or necrotic tumor, DWI and ADC mapping are thought to be very useful diagnostic tools.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2021

Celiac artery compression is a rare condition in which the celiac artery is compressed by the median arcuate ligament. Case reports of compression after trauma are hard to find. Blunt traumatic pericardium rupture is also a rare condition. We report a single patient who experienced both rare conditions from a single blunt injury. An 18-year-old woman was brought to the trauma center after a fatal motorcycle accident, in which she was a passenger. The driver was found dead. Her vital signs were stable, but she complained of mild abdominal pain, chest wall pain, and severe back pain. There were no definite neurologic deficits. Her initial computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple rib fractures, moderate lung contusions with hemothorax, moderate liver injury, and severe lumbar spine fracture and dislocation. She was brought to the angiography room to check for active bleeding in the liver, which was not apparent. However, the guide wire was not able to pass through the celiac trunk. A review of the initial CT revealed kinking of the celiac trunk, which was assumed to be due to altered anatomy of the median arcuate ligament caused by spine fractures. Immediate fixation of the vertebrae was performed. During recovery, her hemothorax remained loculated. Suspecting empyema, thoracotomy was performed at 3 weeks after admission, revealing organized hematoma without pus formation, as well as rupture of the pericardium, which was immediately sutured, and decortication was carried out. Five weeks after admission, she had recovered without complications and was discharged home.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2022

Background: No consensus exists regarding whether volatile anesthetics are superior to intravenous anesthetics for reducing postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients undergoing general anesthesia for surgery. Studies of this issue focused on anatomic pulmonary resection are lacking. This study compared the effects of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) versus volatile anesthesia on PPCs after anatomic pulmonary resection in patients with lung cancer. Methods: This retrospective study examined the medical records of patients with lung cancer who underwent lung resection at our center between January 2018 and October 2020. The primary outcome was the incidence of PPCs, which included prolonged air leak, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, empyema, atelectasis requiring bronchofiberscopy (BFS), acute lung injury (ALI), bronchopleural fistula (BPF), pulmonary embolism, and pulmonary edema. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance the 2 groups. In total, 579 anatomic pulmonary resection cases were included in the final analysis. Results: The analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the volatile anesthesia and TIVA groups in terms of PPCs, except for prolonged air leak. Neither of the groups showed atelectasis requiring BFS, ALI, BPF, pulmonary embolism, or pulmonary edema after PSM. However, the length of hospitalization, intensive care unit stay, and duration of chest tube indwelling were shorter in the TIVA group. Conclusion: Volatile anesthetics showed no superiority compared to TIVA in terms of PPCs after anatomical pulmonary resection in patients with lung cancer. Considering the advantages of each anesthetic modality, appropriate anesthetic modalities should be used in patients with different risk factors and situations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.5
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• pp.1109-1120
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• 2020

Pleural masses may be caused by various conditions, including benign and malignant neoplasms and non-neoplastic tumorlike conditions. Primary pleural neoplasms include solitary fibrous tumor, malignant mesothelioma, and primary pleural non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Metastatic disease is the most common neoplasm of the pleura and may uncommonly occur in patients with hematologic malignancy, including lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. Pleural effusion is usually associated with pleural malignancy. Rarely, pleural malignancy may arise from chronic empyema, and the most common cell type is non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (pyothorax-associated lymphoma). Non-neoplastic pleural masses may be observed in several benign conditions, including tuberculosis, pleural plaques caused by asbestos exposure, and pleural loose body. Herein, we present a review of benign and malignant pleural neoplasms and tumorlike conditions with illustrations of their computed tomographic images.