• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.542-549
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• 2002

Purpose : The purpose of our study was to assess the usefulness of the Tl-201 SPECT for the detection of the postoperative tumor recurrence on chest wall. Methods: 28 patients including 14 with suspected recurrence of tumor in the chest wall on postoperative chest cr scan, 10 with postoperative pleural effusion which proved benign on radiologic, cytologic and laboratory findings, and 4 with chronic tuberculous empyema as control group were included. All patients underwent SPECT 30 minutes and 4 hours after intravenous injection of 111MBq of Tl-201. Tumor uptake was visually graded by two interpreters and scored as follows : no uptake:0, similar to contralateral lung: 1, higher than contralateral lung but less than heart:2 and similar to heart:3. Results : Markedly increased (grade 3 or 2) Tl-201 uptake was noted in patients with suspected recurrence of tumor in the chest wall (13/14) whereas no (8/10) or minimal (2/10) uptake along the collapsed lung in patients with postoperative benign pleural effusion. In two patients, Tl-201 SPECT revealed additional recurrent tumor mass lesions that were barely perceptible on chest cr scan. Patients with chronic tuberculous empyema showed relatively smoothly marginated increased uptake along the chest wall 4/4), but lesser in degree (grade 1 or 2), when compared to recurrent tumor uptake. Conclusion : Tl-201 lung SPECT seems to be useful to detect postoperative tumor recurrence on chest wall and to differentiate malignant from benign pleural effusion and may provide additional information to the morphologic data obtained by CT.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.991-1000
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• 1997

Closed thoracostomy with UWSD* which is the most utilized procedure in chest surgery applies general thoracic disorders, trauma and after-thoracic surgery. The University hospital was involved on operating 2341 cases of closed thoracostomy with UWSD except chest tubing after-thoracic surgery for a full six years from January, 1991 to December, 1996. The rate of men and women out of the total 2341 cases was 3.5 : 1, the distribution by age showed that men were 36.6 $\pm21.0$ years old, women were $47.0\pm20.2$ years old and so that the total were 40.0 $\pm$ 20.5 years old. As for indication, spontaneous, secondary and traumatic pneumothorax were the most common, in addition to hemothorax hemopneumothorax, hydrothorax, hydropneumothorax, empyema, chylothorax. The most indwelling period of chest tubing is between eight and fourteen days for 974 cases and the average is 13.7 $\pm$ 6.3 days, The average drainage amount immediately after thoracostomy was 537 $\pm$ 88m1, and in 694 cases(46.0%), the drain amount was 201 ~ 500 ml. The rate of right and left tubing was 52.4 47.6, in 2071 cases(88.5%), the thoracostomy was the first chance and 2210 cases(94.4%) were treated with a single tube drainage. Almost all the patients complained of tube site pain, besides tube site infection, intercostal neuralgia, loss of tube function by the pleural adhesion, intrathoracic infection, incomplete reexpansion of defective lung, hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a blood vessel, subcutaneous emphysema, lung parenchymal rupture, diaphragmatic and intraabdominal trauma, reexpansionary pulmonary edema of one side lung and cellulitis were relapsed. 84.6% of all patients recovered with only clo ed thoracostomy and the rest of patient needed additional some necessary managements and so on to have successful results. There were two deaths(0.1%), caused by reexpansionary pulmonary edema, the cellulitis were complicated by thoracostomy with UWSD on an empyema patients to come to death(due to sepsis). t UWSD = under water seal drainage

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.799-806
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• 2002

In spite of the establishment of chemotherapy and the gradual decrease in prevalence, pulmonary tuberculosis is still mainly treated with an operation. Through analyzing and examining some cases of surgical treatment, we hope to provide some help in treating of pulmonary tuberculosis in the future. Material and Method: By comparing four journals previously published in our department with 144 cases of lung surgery during ten years from January of 1991 to December of 2000 performed by the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery of the National Medical Center, we analyzed and reviewed the most recent trends and the results of the surgical treatment. Annual frequency of the operation, distribution of age, examination of sputum, adaptability and types of techniques, complications, and results of the postoperative follow-up were used as methods. Result: It was found that the annual frequency of operations had decreased. The ratio of men to women, 2:1 indicates that there are more incidences in men. Aging of patients could be speculated by the .results that the decrease in the incidence rate in the 20s age range and increase rate in the 50s age range. The range of preoperative lesions belonged mostly to far advanced and moderately advanced tuberculosis. By monitoring the period of use in preoperative antituberculosis drugs, cases for more than 3 years remarkably increased from 16.0 % to 55.6 %. The positive reactive rate for preoperative sputum examinations were drastically decreased from 91 % to 27 %. Total pulmonary destruction and partial destruction were the most common cases in terms of adaptability to the operations and there were significant increases in forming empyema accompanied by parenchymal lesions from 4.0 % to 20.1 %. Pneumonectomy and pulmonary lobectomy were the major type of operations. Especially, there were increases in the incident rate of empyema and recurrence of tuberculosis resulted. Post operative follow-up indicates that the rate of complete recovery was more than 70 % and the rate of gradual increase in treating with persistent antituberculosis drug was from 5.8 % to 18.0 %. Conclusion: In recent cases, there is an increasing number of patients showing tolerance to chemotherapy. Patients with pleural tuberculosis and severe lesions were typically increased. It is important to accurately analyze those complaints accurately that are mostly difficult to be treated medically. Surgical treatment is strongly recommended Before multiple drug resistance occurs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.568-575
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• 2000

Background : Cytokines are chemical mediators that control and modulate many inflammatory processes. They work in different fashions in a variety of diseases. Discriminating between malignant effusion, tuberculous effusion, and parapneumonic effusion are crucial from the clinical view-point in Korea. In the current study, interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured for this purpose. Methods : Pleural fluids from patients with malignant disease, tuberculosis, parapneumonic effusion and lung empysema were collected and gauged using commercial ELISA kits. Results : 34 patients were enrolled in this study. Among these 15 cases were malignant effusions, 12 were tuberculosis pleurisy and 7 were parapneumonic effusion and lung empyema. The levels of cytokines measured in this study were as follows, in order of frequency, malignant effusion, tuberculous effusion, parapneumonic effusion and lung empyema. The levels of INF-${\gamma}$ were higher in tuberculous effusion than in malignant or parapneumonic effusion ($295.5{\pm}585.5$ vs. $16.7{\pm}50$ vs. $10.0{\pm}0$ pg/ml, p>0.05). The levels of IL-2R were higher in tuberculous effusion than in malignant or parapneumoruc effusion ($7423.5{\pm}3752.8$ vs. $3247.4{\pm}1713.3$ vs. $3790.2{\pm}3201.1$ pg/ml, p<0.05). No significant differences were found in the levels of IL-6 between the groups ($600{\pm}12.8$ pg/ml in malignant effusion, $556.4{\pm}161.7$ pg/ml in tuberculous effusion, $514.4{\pm}224.8$ pg/ml in parapneumoruc effusion). IL-10 levels were higher in parapneumoruc effusion than in malignant or tuberculous effusions ($98.4{\pm}141.7$ vs. $28.2{\pm}55.5$ vs. $11.3{\pm}11.7$ pg/ml, p<0.05). Conclusion : These results suggest that the measurement of IL-2R levels in pleural fluids may be a useful means of differentiating between tuberculous effusion and pleural effusions of other origins, and that the measurement of IL-10 levels in pleural fluids may be useful to differentiate between parapneumonic effusion and pleural effusions of other origins.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2007

Background: Many diagnostic approaches for defining the definitive cause of pleurisy should be included due to the large variety of diseases resulting in pleural effusion. Although ADA is a useful diagnostic tool for making a differential diagnosis of pleural effusion, particularly for tuberculous pleural effusion, a definitive diagnostic cut-off value remains problematic in Korea. It was hypothesized that ADA multiplied by the Lymphocyte/Neutrophil ratio(L/N ratio) might be more powerful for making a differential diagnosis of pleural effusion. Methods: One hundred and ninety patients, who underwent thoracentesis and treatment in Chung-Ang University Hospital from January, 2005 through to February 2006, were evaluated. The clinical characteristics, radiologic data and the examination of the pleural effusion were analyzed retrospectively. Results: 1. Among the 190 patients, 59 patients (31.1%) were diagnosed with tuberculous pleurisy, 45 patients(23.7%) with parapneumonic effusion, 42 patients(22.1%) with malignant effusions, 36 patients(18.9%) with transudate, and 8 patients(4.2%) with empyema. One hundred and twenty one patients were found to have an ADA activity of 1 to 39 IU/L(63.7%). Twenty-nine were found to have an ADA activity of 40 to 75 IU/L(15.3%) and 40 were found to have an ADA activity of 75 IU/L or greater(21.0%). 2. Among the patients with tuberculous pleurisy, 5(8%), 18(30%) and 36 patients(60%) had an ADA activity ranging from 1 to 39 IU/L, 40 to 75 IU/L, and 75 IU/L or greater, respectively. In those with an ADA activitiy 40 to 75 IU/L, 18 patients(62%) had tuberculous pleurisy, 9(31%) had parapneumonic effusion and empyema, and 1(3.4%) had a malignant effusion. 3. In those with an ADA activity of 40 to 75 IU/L, there was no significant difference between tuberculous pleurisy and non-tuberculous pleural effusion(tuberculous pleurisy : 61.3 ${\pm}$ 9.2 IU/L, non-tuberculous pleural effusion : 53.3${\pm}$10.5 IU/L). 4. The mean L/N ratio of those with tuberculous pleurisy was 39.1 ${\pm}$ 44.6, which was significantly higher than nontuberculous pleural effusion patients (p<0.05). The mean ADA x L/N ratio of the tuberculous pleurisy patients was 2,445.7 ${\pm}$ 2,818.5, which was significantly higher than the non-tuberculous pleural effusion patients (level p<0.05). 5. ROC analysis showed that the ADA x L/N ratio had a higher diagnostic value than the ADA alone in the group with an ADA between 40-75 IU/L. Conclusion: The ADA multiplied by the lymphocyte-to-neutrophil ratio might provide a more definitive diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.2
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• pp.194-200
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• 2017

Background: Medical thoracoscopy (MT) is a minimally invasive, endoscopic procedure for exploration of the pleural cavity under conscious sedation and local anesthesia. MT has been performed at the Seoul National University Hospital since February 2014. This paper summarizes the findings and outcomes of MT cases at this hospital. Methods: Patients who had undergone MT were enrolled in the study. MT was performed by pulmonologists, using both rigid and semi-rigid thoracoscopes. During the procedure, patients were under conscious sedation with fentanyl and midazolam. Medical records were reviewed for clinical data. Results: From February 2014 to January 2016, 50 procedures (47 cases) were performed (diagnostic MT, 26 cases; therapeutic MT, 24 cases). The median age of patients was 66 years (59-73 years), and 38 patients (80.9%) were male. The median procedure duration from initial incision to insertion of the chest tube was 37 minutes. The median doses of fentanyl and midazolam were $50{\mu}g$ and 5 mg, respectively. All procedures were performed without unexpected events. Of the 26 cases of pleural disease with an unknown cause, 19 were successfully diagnosed using MT. Additionally, diagnostic MT provided clinically useful information in the other six patients. Therapeutic MT was very effective for treatment of malignant pleural effusion or empyema. The median number of days with chest tube drainage was 6 (3 days for diagnostic MT and 8 days for therapeutic MT). Conclusion: MT is a useful and necessary procedure for both diagnosis and treatment of pleural diseases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.48-51
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• 2008

Chronic expanding hematoma of the thorax is a specific subtype of the chronic empyema. It presents as a slowly expanding intrathoracic mass which result in dyspnea or recurrent hemoptysis. The symptoms develop months or years after tuberculous pleurisy, trauma or surgery. Usually, it shows three common findings: a giant mass lesion in the thorax, some surrounding calcifications, the absence of signs or symptoms of infection. We report a case of chronic expanding hematoma of the thorax, initially presenting as massive hemoptysis through bronchopleural fistula which resulted in radiologic findings of new air-fluid level within the previous pleural lesion filled with unknown materials.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.205-213
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• 1977

In order to evaluate the therapeutic effect of thoracostomy on the patients with pathological changes in pleural cavity which were caused by various etiological factors, a clinical study was carried out during a period of 5 and half years from May 1972 to September 1977 in the department of thoracic surgery, Hanyang University Hospital, and the following results were obtained. Of a total of 264 patients, 205 cases were male, and 59 female, exhibiting the ratio of male to female being 3.5 to 1. The pathological changes in pleural cavity could occur at any age from 4 months after birth to 76 years old, the peak incidence being in the third decade in either male or female. The incidence decreased in the second, fifth and fourth decade in order. The type of pathological changes observed and their frequencies of occurrences were 93 cases [35.2%] in pneumothorax, 62 cases [23.5%] in hemothorax, 48 cases [18.2%] in pyothorax, 46 cases [17. 4%] in hemopneumothorax, 13 cases [4.9%] in hydropneumothorax, and one case each in hydrothorax and chylothorax. The incidence of the primary diseases which predisposed the pathological changes in pleural cavity were, 119 cases [45-1%] in trauma, 64 cases [24.2%]in lung tuberculosis, 38 cases [14.4%] in pneumonia or empyema, 14 cases [5.3%] in lung emphysema and blebs, 13 cases [4.9%] in process after thoracotomy, 3 cases [1.1%] each in lung malignant tumor and lung paragonimiasis, one case in mechanical ventilator and 9 cases [3.4%] in unknown origin. The pathological changes in pleural cavity were located in the right side of the cavity in 124 cases, in the left side in 133 cases and in both sides in 7 cases, indicating that the difference between the incidence of the left and rightside occurences was insignificant. Of 93 cases of pneumothorax studied, 63 cases were found to have been tension pneumothorax and 30 cases non-tension pneumothorax, showing greater prevalence of tension type over non-tension type. Of 119 cases of trauma observed, 82 cases were accompanied with rib fractures and 37 cases were without any fracture [non-bone fracture]. Patients with the rib fractures were characterized by multiple rib fractures and multiple double fractures of ribs, accompanying with or without fracture of bones other than ribs, and patients with non-bone fracture were characterized by penetrating stab wound and blunt trauma. Of 264 cases who received thoracostomy, 207 cases [78.4%] demonstrated that their pathological changes in pleural cavity were removed and subsided by a simple measure of thoracostomy. In 43 cases [16.3%], various surgical measures including radical operation and thoracotomy were required for complete healing, since their pathological changes were not abolished by thoracostomy alone. The rest 14 cases [5.3%] were expired following thoracostomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.298-310
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• 1976

A clinical analysis was performed on 118 cases of the benign esophageal diseases experienced at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital during 20 year period from 1957 to 1976. Of 118 cases of the benign esophageal diseases, there were 84 patients of esophagenal stenosis, 14 of esophageal perforation, 8 of esophageal atresia, 7 of achalasia, 2 of hiatal hernia, 2 of esophageal foreign body and one of esophageal diverticulum. Fifty-one patients were male and sixty-seven were female, and ages ranged from one day to sixty-four years with peak incidence in the age group of 20 to 29 years. All but one of the esophageal stenosis were caused by corrosive esophagitis and ages ranged from three to sixty-four years with peak incidence in third decade. Main symptoms of the esophageal stenosis were dysphagia, weight loss and chest pain in order and mostly began between one month and one year after ingestion of corrosive agents. Corrosive esophageal stenosis developed most frequently in middle one-third of the esophagus and about one-forth of them were diffuse. Operations were performed on 72 patients of esophageal stenosis of whom 26 patients had esophagocologastrostomy, 21 gastrostomy, 20 esophagogastrostomy, 4 esophagojejunogastrostomy and 2 pharyngogastrostomy. There were 5 deaths in the postoperative period, an operative mortality of 6.9 percent, and 20 patients had one or two complications; eight were anastomotic leaks, 6 gangrenes of replaced loop, 4 wound abscesses and others. The causes of the esophageal perforation were traumatic in 7 cases, caustics in 4 and spontaneous in 3, and the most frequent site of the perforation was lower one-third of the esophagus. Frequent symptoms of the esophageal perforation were pain, fever, dysphagia and dyspnea, and preoperatively there were mediastinitis in 8 cases, empyema in 7, lung abscess in 3 and others. All 14 patients of the esophageal perforation underwent operation: primary closure in 7 cases, drainage in 4, esophagogastrostomy in 2 and 'esophageal diversion in one. There were 4 postoperative deaths and 11 postoperative complications occurred in 7 patients. The duration of symptoms in achalasia was between 3 months and 25 years, with an average duration of 6. 2 years. Frequent symptoms of the achlasia esophagi were dysphagia, regurgitation, pain and weight loss in order. All 7 patients of achlasia underwent modified Heller's operation where 2 patients had complications, restenosis in one and esophageal perforation in another. All 8 patients of congenital esophageal atresia had distal tracheoesophageal fistula and were admitted within 5 days of life, but there were pneumonic consolidation on chest X-ray in patients. Five patients underwent one staged operation with the result of 2 deaths and one anastomotic leak.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.299-308
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• 1990

A review of 50 patients with primary mediastinal tumors or cysts has been done to evaluate clinical and pathological behavior of this heterogeneous group of tumors proved by either excision or biopsy from January 1980 to August 1989 at the cardiovascular department of surgery in Kyungpook National University Hospital. There were 30 males and 20 females in this series. The ages of patients ranged from 4 months to 64 years. The mean age of subjects was 30.4 years. Neurogenic tumors [14 cases, 28%] and teratoma [14 cases, 28%] were most frequently encountered and followed by thymoma [10 cases, 20%] and benign cysts [4 cases, 8%]. The anatomic location of the primary mediastinal tumors or cysts was classified as anterior mediastinum and middle or visceral mediastinum and paravertebral or costovertebral mediastinum on the basis of the Shields’ proposition. In 32 patients[64%], the tumors or cysts were located in anterior mediastinum and in 13 patients[26%], the tumors or cysts were located in paravertebral or costovertebral mediastinum. And the rest 5 patients[10%] had middle or visceral mediastinal tumors or cysts. One of the characteristic features of primary mediastinal tumors or cysts is that some mediastinal tumors or cysts have their own preferred location in the mediastinum. In our series, all of the 14 patients with teratoma and 10 patients with thymoma had the anterior mediastinal location, while 13 of the 14 patients with neurogenic tumors had the paravertebral mediastinal location. 14 patients[28%] were asymptomatic and they all were discovered via so-called “Routine” chest x-ray examination. 39 of 50 patients[78%] were benign. 11 patients[22%] were malignant and they were all symptomatic. 40 patients[80%] were treated with complete resection. 5 patients[10%] were treated with partial resection : 2 of malignant thymoma, 3 of lipoma, neuroblastoma, primary squamous cell carcinoma. The rest 5 patients[10%] were only biopsied: 2 of undetermined malignancy and 3 of hemangioma, lymphoma, primary squamous cell carcinoma. 4 of the 10 patients were treated with combination of irradiation and chemotherapy. Postoperative complications were as followings: Horner’s syndrome [4cases, ado], respiratory failure [3 cases, 6%], pleural effusion[3 cases, 6%], Wound infection[2 cases, 4%] and bleeding, pneumothorax, empyema. There were 5 postoperative deaths [10%]. One patient with neuroblastoma died from intraoperative massive bleeding, 3 patients died early postoperatively from respiratory failure with undetermined malignancy died late postoperatively from congestive heart failure due to direct invasion of the tumor to the heart.