• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.464-468
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• 2006

The incidence of Mycobacterium kansasii pulmonary diseases are on the increase in Korea with the higher probability of occurrence in middle-aged and older men with underlying lung diseases Among nontuberculosus mycobacterial (NTM) infections, the clinical features of M. kansasii pulmonary infection are most similar to those of tuberculosis (TB). The chest radiographic findings of M. kansasii infection are almost indistinguishable from those of M. tuberculosis (predominance of an upper lobe infiltration and cavitary lesions), even though some suggest that cavities are more commonly thin-walled and have less surrounding infiltration than those of typical TB lesions. Although there are reports on the rare manifestations of M. kansasii infections, such as endobronchial ulcer, arthritis, empyema, cutaneous and mediastinal lymphadenitis, cellulites and osteomyelitis, the association with bronchial anthracofibrosis has not yet been reported. This report describes the first case of M. kansasii infection presenting as a lung mass in the right lower lobe with accompanying bronchial anthracofibrosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 1994

Background : Antibiotic therapy has proven an effective method of treatment on the majority of patients with pyogenic lung abscess and infected bulla. When medical therapy has failed, pulmonary resection is the current generally recommended therapy. But nowdays complications of percutaneous tube drainage has decreased with the use of small catheter. So we evaluated the effect of percutaneous tube drainage as an alternative therapy to the pyogenic lung abscess and infected bulla refractory to medical therapy in preference ot the pulmonary resection. Method : Nine cases of the lung abscess and three cases of infected bulla which has large cavity size over 6cm, and has underlying diseases such as lung cancer, diabetes mellitus, refractory to over 1 week of antibiotics, were performed percutaneous tube drainage with All Purpose Drainage catheter(Medi-tech, Watertown, USA) under fluoroscopy. Results : All the cases except one case which complicated empyema was improved clinically. Fever was down within 4days of percutaneous tube drainage(mean : 1.9days). Mean duration of tube drainage was 9.9days. Conclusion : Percutaneous tube drainage is an effective and relatively safe procedure in the management of lung abscesses that do not response to medical therapy. We speculate this procedure should be considered as an alternative therapy for the lung abscess refractory to medical therapy in preference to the surgery. The safety and effectiveness of this procedure in infected bulla should be evaluated with an additional study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.396-401
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• 1997

Tailoring thoracoplasty is employed prior to, following, or concomitant with pulmonary resection when it is anticipated that insufHclent lung tissue will remain to fill the pleural space following a pulmonary resection. This study reviewed a series of eight patients treated with tailoring thoracoplasty between 1990 and 1995. Indications were to close a persistent space In four patients and to tailor the thoracic cavity to accept diminished lung volume concomitant with a pulmonary resection in the other four patients. The primary underlying disease was lung cancer in three patients and pulmonary tuberculosis In five patients, two of whom had concomitant aspcrgilloma, two, pneumothora , and one, empyema with bronchopleural fistula. In four patients with a prior pulmonary resection, the tailoring thoracoplasty was performed within eight days after the resection surgery. There was no failure to accommodate the thoracic cavity to insufficient lung tissue, even though two patients needed a second thoracoplasty. We conclude that tailoring thoracoplasty may be performed to close anticipated persistent pleural space and to accommodate diminished lung volume with acceptable cosmetic results Early, after, or concomitant with pulmonary resection in selected patients.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 2006

Invasive Pseudomonas infections most often occur in the immunocompromised patients and are associated with high mortality rate. Rarely this disease may develop in healthy infants and children. We report two cases of invasive Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections that were diagnosed in otherwise healthy infants. The first case was a previously healthy 5-month-old infant with ecthyma gangrenosum and septicemia. She presented with fever, swelling of left periorbital area and multiple erythronodular skin lesions. Each skin lesion formed a black eschar surrounded by an erythematous areola over time. Cultures of blood, urine and discharge from skin lesions grew P. aeruginosa. On the day of visit, she showed pancytopenia which was normalized after 10 days. The patient responded well to the management with ceftazidime and tobramycin. The other case was a previously healthy 9-month-old infant with community-acquired pneumonia. He was referred from an outside hospital with fever and cough. Chest x-ray revealed pneumonic infiltrations on both lower lungs with pleural effusion on the right side. Cultures of blood and pleural fluid grew P. aeruginosa. Chest CT performed on the ninth day demonstrated pneumatoceles, lung abscess and necrosis of lung parenchyma. He was managed with ceftazidime and amikacin for 50 days. No residual pulmonary complications were noted during the three month follow-up. Laboratory results to evaluate immunologic defects of phagocytic cells, complement components and T- and B-lymphocytes were all within normal range in both patients. It should be kept in mind that Pseudomonas can be, though uncommon, a cause of community-acquired invasive infections in the previously healthy infants.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.86-95
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• 1992

We have performed surgical operations for 184 primary lung carcinomas over a 10 year period from December, 1979 to December, 1990 at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. We have reviewed 77 cases confirmed to be dead in the post-operative follow-up period among 184 cases. There were 68 males and 9 females [M: F=7.56: 1], with 76.62% ranging between 50 to 70 years old There were 50 cases[64.94%] of squamous cell carcinoma, 15[19.48%] of adenocarcinoma, 4[5.19%] of large cell carcinoma, 4[5.19%] of mixed cell carcinoma 3 [3.90%] of small cell carcinoma % 1 case of bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma. There were 25 cases[32.47%] in stage I, 12 [15.58%] in stage II 32 [41.56%] in stage IIIa and 8 [10.39%] in stage IIIb according to the new international staging system for lung cancer. The operative methods were left pneumonectomy in 38 cases, right pneumonectomy in 21, bilobectomy in 5, lobectomy in 12, and wedge resection in one case.ase. There were 9 operative mortalities; one case by bleeding, 5 cases by respiratory failure, one case by bleeding & renal failure, one case by empyema thoracis with BPF and one case by brain metastases. The actuarial mean survival length was 14.636$\pm$18.188months overall and 16.441$\pm$18. 627months in 68 cases excluding 9 operative deaths. The actuarial mean survival length was 18.568$\pm$11.057 months in 43 squamous cell carcinomas, 14.385$\pm$11.057 months in 14 adenocarcinomas, 10.250$\pm$8.884months in 4 large cell carcinomas and 12.250$\pm$17.193months in 4 mixed cell carcinomas. The actuarial mean survival length was 14.051$\pm$16.963months in 59 pneumonectomy cases, 15.200$\pm$12.478 months in 5 bilobectomy cases, 18.417$\pm$26.026months in 12 lobectomy cases. The actuarial mean survival length was 28.952$\pm$25.738months in 22 stage I cases, 19. 455$\pm$16.723months in ll stage II cases, 8.633$\pm$6.584months in 29 stage IIIa cases and 6. 167$\pm$4.355months in 6 stage IIIb cases. The differences of actuarial mean survival length according to the stages were statistically significant [a=0.003]

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.231-242
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• 1983

A clinical study was performed on 75 cases of the esophageal cancer and benign esophageal diseases experienced at Department of thoracic & cardiovascular surgery, School of Medicine, Keimyung University during 3 year period from 1978 to 1982. Of 75 cases of the surgical esophageal diseases, there were 35 patients of the esophageal cancer. 17 patients of benign esophageal stenosis, 10 patients of esophageal perforation, 4 patients of diverticulum. 3 patients of achalasia, 2 patients of congenital T-E fistula, one of upper esophageal web, one of esophageal foreign body, one of leiomyoma and patient of hemangioma. First, esophageal carcinoma was more frequent in men than in women by a ratio of five to one, and the peak incidence occurred in the 5th to 6th decade. Dysphagia was the most common symptom in 88.6 percent of our cases. The tumor was located mostly in the middle & the lower one third [91.4%]. The histological diagnosis was made in 35 cases. The squamous cell carcinoma was the most common [82.9%] and the rest was the adenocarcinoma in the lower one third [17.1%]. Thirty-five cases were operated and resection was feasible in the twenty-five patients [71.4%] with 2 cases of hospital mortality [5.7%]. All but two of the esophageal stenosis were caused by corrosive esophagitis and ages ranged from 7 to 70 years with average age of 32 years. Corrective operations were performed on 17 patients of esophageal stenosis of whom 12 patients had esophagocologastrostomy, 3 patients esophagogastrostomy and in non-corrosive esophageal stenosis one case and esophagoplasty and another case had release of external compression. There was one complication of stenosis of the esophageal perforation were traumatic in five cases, empyema in three cases, caustics in one case and postemetic in one case. 10 patients of the esophageal perforation underwent operation: primary closure in 5 cases, two staged colon interposition in 2, esophagogastrostomy in 1 and closed thoracotomy in 2 cases There were 2 complications of leakage of anastomosis sites in postoperative period. 4 patients of traction type of diverticulum underwent diverticulectomy & 3 patients of achalasia underwent modified Heller`s operation. 2 patients of congenital esophageal atresia had distal tracheoesophageal fistula & underwent one staged operation with the results of one death caused by pneumonia. Upper esophageal web had divulsion through the esophagoscope and foreign body in upper esophagus was removed through cervical esophagotomy. One case of leiomyoma in esophagus had esophagectomy and reconstruction with right colon. And one case of hemangioma in esophagus had esophagectomy & esophagogastrostomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 1972

Esophageal perforation is one of the most grave prognostic problems among thoracic and general surgical emergencies which necessitate urgent operative measures. In Korea,there are still many persons ingesting lye for suicidal attempt and thoracic surgeons in Korea have more chances to deal with lye burned esophagus with or without instrumental perforation than those in Western countries. Main cause of esophageal perforation in Korea is instrumental perforation in patients with lye stricture of the esophagus during diagnostic endoscopy or therapeutic bouginage. Other causes are corrosion of the esophagus due to ingestion of caustic agents, pathologic perforation, surgical trauma, stab wound and spontaneous rupture of the esophagus in our series. Therapeutic measures are various,and depend on duration of perforation, severity of its complications, pathology of perforated portion of the esophagus and degrees of inflammation at the point of perforation. The most important therapeutic measures are prevention of this grave condition during esophagoscopy, bouginage and surgical procedures on lungs and mediastinal structures and to make early diagnosis with prompt therapeutic measures. During the period of January, 1959, to December, 1971, the authors experienced 65 cases ofesophageal perforation including acquired esophagorespiratory fistula at Dept. of Chest Surgery, the National Medical Center in Seoul, and obtained following results in the series. 1. Female were 35 cases, and peak age incidence was 2nd and 3rd decades of life. 2. Among 65 cases, 43 were corrosive esophagitis or benign stricture of the esophagus due to caustic agents, 7 were patients with esophageal cancer. and there were 5 cases of esophageal perforation developed after pneumonectomy or pleuropneumonectomy. 3. Causes of perforation are instrumental perforation in 45, acute corrosion in 7, pathologic perforation in 7, surgical trauma in 3, stab wound in 2 cases, and one spontaneous rupture of the esophagus. 4. Most frequent sites of esophageal perforation were upper and mid thoracic esophagus, and 8 were cases with cervical esophageal perforation. 5. Complications of esophageal perforation were mediastinitis in 42, empyema or pneumothorax in 35, esophagorespiratory fistula in 12, retroperitoneal fistula or abscess in 5,pneumoperitoneum in 3, and localized peritonitis in 1 case. 6. Cases with malignant esophagorespiratory fistula were only 3 in the series which is predominant cause of acquired esophagorespiratory fistula in Western countries. 7. Various therapeutic measures were applied with mortality rate of 27.7% in the series. 8. In usual cases early treatment gave better prognosis, and least mortality rate in cases with perforation in mid thoracic esophagus. 9. Main causes of death were respiratory complications,acute hemorrhage with asphyxia, and septic complications. 10. Esophageal perforation developed after pneumonectomy gave more difficult therapeutic problems which were solved in only 1 among 5 cases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.591-595
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• 1999

Pulmonary gangrene is a rare complication of severe pulmonary infection in which a pulmonary segment or lobe is sloughed. It is a part of a spectrum of disease in which lung tissue is devitalized(such as necrotizing pneumonia, pulmonary abscess), but apart from them, pulmonary gangrene has more extensive area of necrosis and thrombosis of large vessels plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis. We experienced a case of pulmonary gangrene in 71 year old female obstructive pneumonia patient with non-small cell lung carcinoma. She complained high fever, chill and despite treatment with antibiotics, pneumonia progressed to empyema. At that time chest radiograph showed a large cavity including sloughed lung tissue, freely moving to dependent position at both lateral decubitus view. RML and RLL were resected and compression of pulmonary vessels by enlarged lymph nodes was observed. Defervescence was obtained immediate postoperative period and the patient was discharged after infection control with antibiotics, chest tube drainage. The perivascular lymph nodes dissected during lobectomy were proved to be reactive hyperplasias. We speculated that the carcinoma caused obstructive pneumonia, in turn, resulted in reactive hyperplasia of the draining lymph nodes surrounding the large vessels and finally the lung tissues supplied by them necrotized and sloughed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.5
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• pp.441-447
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• 2012

Background: Chest tube drainage (CTD) is an indication for the treatment of pneumothorax, hemothroax and is used after a thoracic surgery. But, in the case of incomplete lung expansion, and/or persistent air leak from CTD, medical or surgical thoracoscopy or, if that is unavailable, limited thoracotomy, should be considered. We evaluate the efficacy of bronchoscopic injection of ethanolamine to control the persistent air leak in patients with CTD. Methods: Patients who had persistent or prolonged air leak from CTD were included, consecutively. We directly injected 1.0 mL solution of 5% ethanolamine oleate into a subsegmental or its distal bronchus, where it is a probable air leakage site, 1 to 21 times using an injection needle through a fiberoptic bronchoscope. Results: A total of 15 patients were enrolled; 14 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax [idiopathic 9, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 3, post-tuberculosis 2] and one case of empyema associated with broncho-pleural fistula. Of these, five were patients with persistent air leak from CTD, just after a surgical therapy, wedge resection with plication for blebs or bullae. With an ethanolamine injection therapy, 12 were successful but three (idiopathic, COPD and post-tuberculosis) failed, and were followed by a surgery (2 cases) or pleurodesis (1 case). Some adverse reactions, such as fever, chest pain and increased radiographic opacities occurred transiently, but resolved without any further events. With success, the time from the procedure to discharge was about 3 days (median). Conclusion: Bronchoscopic ethanolamine injection therapy may be partially useful in controlling air leakage, and reducing the hospital stay in patients with persistent air leak from CTD.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1111-1116
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• 1997

In a period from Sep 1994 to Sep 1996, 38 patients were treated for spontaneous pneumothorax by video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS). 31 male and 7 female patients with ages between 17 and 79(mean 30.0 years). No death occured. The postoperative complication rate of VATS was 7.9%(3/38). We noted no recurrence of pneumothorax, 3 wound dehiscence, 3 persistent air leak(>7days) in the patients. We compared theses results with thoracoscopic surgery of spontaneous pneumothorax in 38 cases(Group A), with cases of 21 patients(Group B) performed by the thoracotomy in the same period. There have been no recurrence in groud A, and one recurrence in group B at a median follow-up of 14.37$\pm$7.48 months and 16.81 $\pm$7.12 months, respectively. There was no significant difference in the duration of operation time including induction time between VATS and thoracotomy, but postoperative hospital stay and chest tube drainage periods were all less for these undergone VATS. Postoperative complication was less in group A(3/38=7.9%, 3 cases with persistent air leak >7days, all developed wound dehiscence, too), than in group B(9/21=42.9%, 8 cases with persistent air leak more than 7days, including 2 wound dehiscence, one recurrence, and the other one case of empyema). In our experience, VATS has the effectiveness of thoracic surgery for treating thoracic problems, has resulted in surgical intervention in spontaneous pneumothorax.