• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.457-463
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• 2008

Background: The attenuation of the lung parenchyma increases on expiration as a consequence of decreased air in the lung. Expiratory CT scans have been used to show air trapping in patients with chronic airway disease and diffuse parenchymal disease and also in asymptomatic smokers. Although there have been several reports investigating the regional air trapping on a expiratory CT scan, there have been only a few reports evaluating the changes of whole lung attenuation with considering its clinical significance, and especially in healthy subjects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation of an expiratory increase of lung attenuation with age and smoking in healthy subjects. Methods: Asymptomatic subjects who underwent a low dose chest CT scan as part of a routine check-up and who showed normal spirometry and a normal inspiratory CT scan were recruited for this study. We excluded the subjects with significant regional air trapping seen on their expiratory CT scan. Lung attenuation was measured at 24 points of both the inspiratory and expiratory CT scans, respectively, for 100 subjects. The correlations between an expiratory increase of the lung attenuation and the amount of smoking, the patient's age and the results of spirometric test were assessed. Results: There were 87 men and 13 women included in this study. Their median age was 49.0 years old (range:25~71). Sixty current smokers, 24 ex-smokers and 16 non-smokers were included. As age increased, the expiratory increase of lung attenuation was reduced at every measuring points (r=-0.297~-0.487, Pearson correlation). The statistical significance was maintained after controlling for the effect of smoking. Smoking was associated with a reduction of the expiratory increase of lung attenuation. But the significance was reduced after controlling for the patient's age. The $FEV_1$, FVC, $FEV_1/FVC$ and $FEF_{25{\sim}75%}$ were not associated with an expiratory increase of lung attenuation. Conclusion: The expiratory increase of lung attenuation in subjects with a normal inspiratory CT scan was negatively correlated with age. It was also reduced in heavy smokers. It may reflect aging and the smoking related changes.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.529-534
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• 2008

Renal cell carcinoma(RCC) is one of the major malignant renal cell tumors. Although RCC can metastasize to almost every organ, the most common metastatic sites are the lung parenchyma, the bones, the liver, and the brain. Adrenal metastasis from RCC is extremely rare. Adrenal metastasis from RCC shows poor prognosis, with little benefit from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or immunotherapy. In this report, we describe a case of an RCC patient who showed lung and adrenal metastasis. The patient underwent left nephrectomy and chemotherapy(sunitinib), which were not effective. He refused further conventional medical treatment, and instead started treatment with Traditional Korean Medicine using allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes. After about 3 months of this treatment, the size of the adrenal tumor had decreased significantly with good performance status. Further study will be needed to demonstrate the tumor regression effect of allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes on patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.381-385
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• 2004

Pulmonary gangrene is a rare and severe complication of bacterial pneumonia, where a pulmonary segment or lobe is sloughed due to parenchymal devitalization of the parenchyma, with secondary anaerobic infection and necrosis caused by pulmonary vascular thrombosis. Prior to the antibiotic era, massive pulmonary gangrene was potentially fatal. Herein, a case of pulmonary gangrene in a 67-year-old man is reported. He complained of fever, chills, dyspnea and purulent sputum of 5 days duration. The plain chest radiograph showed well-marginated right upper lobe consolidation, with bulging minor fissure, suggestive of a Klebsiella infection. A contrast CT scan demonstrated consolidation of the right upper lobe, with a central necrotizing portion. Klebsiella species was confirmed from both sputum and blood cultures. After appropriate antibiotics, the chest X-ray and CT scan 3 weeks later showed a large cavity with an air-fluid level, sloughing-off and extrusion of necrotic lung tissue, suggestive of pulmonary gangrene. Seven months later, the right gangrenous lung showed severe volume loss on a chest radiograph. The management of pulmonary gangrene has been somewhat controversial. Herein, it was managed without surgical drainage or resection. If the antibiotic therapy had failed, then a surgical approach would have been considered.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.246-250
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• 2010

Mediastinal emphysema, also referred to as pneumomediastinum or Hamman's syndrome, is defined as the presence of air or gas within the fascial planes of the mediastinum. Superior extension of air into the cervicofacial subcutaneous space via communications between the mediastinum and cervical fascial planes or spaces occurs occasionally. The mediastinal air may originate from the respiratory tract, the intrathoracic airway, the lung parenchyma, or the gastrointestinal tract. The presence of air in the mediastinum may be spontaneous, iatrogenic or due to penetrating trauma. Pneumothorax is defined as the presence of air or gas within the pleural cavity. A pneumothorax can occur spontaneously. It can also occur as the result of a disease or injury to the lung or due to a puncture to the chest wall. Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax is a rare complication of head and neck surgery. Nevertheless, when it occurs, it is usually considered to result from direct dissection by the air at the time of injury or of surgery. Most of the cases of pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax that have been described in the oral and maxillofacial surgery literature result from air dissecting down the fascial planes of the neck. The authors report a case with subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax after orthognathic surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2013

Background: Most traumatic tracheobronchial injuries are fatal and result in death. Some milder cases are not life threatening and are often missed at the initial presentation. Tracheobronchial rupture is difficult to diagnose in the evaluation of severe multiple trauma patients. We reviewed the traumatic tracheobronchial injuries at Konyang University and Eulji University Hospital and analyzed the clinical results. Materials and Methods: From January 2001 to December 2011, 23 consecutive cases of traumatic tracheobronchial injury after blunt trauma were reviewed retrospectively. We divided them into two groups by the time to diagnosis: group I was defined as the patients who were diagnosed within 48 hours from trauma and group II was the patients who diagnosed 48 hours after trauma. We compared the clinical parameters of the two groups. Results: There was no difference in the age and gender between the two groups. The most common cause was traffic accidents (56.5%). The Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 19.6 in group I and 27.5 in group II (p=0.06), respectively. Although the difference in the ISS was not statistically significant, group II tended toward more severe injuries than group I. Computed tomography was performed in 22 cases and tracheobronchial injury was diagnosed in 5 in group I and 6 in group II, respectively (p=0.09). Eighteen patients underwent surgical treatment and all four cases of lung resection were exclusively performed in group II (p=0.03). There were two mortality cases, and the cause of death was shock and sepsis. Conclusion: We believe that close clinical observation with suspicion and rigorous bronchoscopic evaluation are necessary to perform diagnosis earlier and preserve lung parenchyma in tracheobronchial injuries from blunt trauma.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.279-284
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• 2017

Pulmonary artery sarcoma (PAS) is a rare and fatal disease that often mimics chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH); therefore, diagnosis of PAS is often delayed. Herein, a healthy 74-year-old man was presented with a 4-month history of dyspnea. Chest computed tomography showed wall thickening and stenosis in the main pulmonary artery as well as in both proximal pulmonary arteries. In order to differentiate between unusual CTEPH, vasculitis, and PAS, we performed right heart catheterization and pulmonary angiography. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure was 21 mmHg, and there was severe pulmonary artery stenosis. Thrombi on the pulmonary arterial wall lesions were observed in intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. Furthermore, the patient had a history of deep vein thrombosis. Therefore, we diagnosed unusual CTEPH. After 6 months of rivaroxaban anticoagulation therapy, a chest X-ray revealed a left lower lobe lung mass, and a positron emission tomography later showed hypermetabolic lesions in the main pulmonary artery wall, in both pulmonary arteries walls, in the lung parenchyma, and in the bones. A biopsy of the right proximal humerus lesion revealed undifferentiated intimal sarcoma. Pulmonary sarcoma is rare, but should be considered when differentially diagnosing main pulmonary artery wall thickening and stenosis. A positron emission tomography may aid in this diagnosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.281-284
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• 2008

Bronchial foreign bodies commonly occur through aspiration or inhalation. Here we present a very rare case of migration of a non-metallic foreign body into the bronchus 5 years after lobectomy. The foreign body, a Teflon pellet used to control parenchymal bleeding in the lung, was removed by a bronchofiberscope. Although the mechanism of migration remains unknown, our case and a previous Japanese case provide evidence that non-metallic foreign bodies can migrate from the lung parenchyma to the bronchus.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.550-555
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• 2000

The bronchopulmonary sequestration is a region of the lung parenchyma that has an incomplete or no connection with the airways and is supplied by an aberrant artery arising from the aorta or one of its branches. The anatomy of the supplying artery is very important during operation. A case of pulmonary sequestration supplied with the left gastric artery is presented. The patient was 61 years old male and had hemoptysis. The chest CT showed cystic bronchiectasis in the left lower lung with few air-fluid level. Also, in aortogram, arterial supply was The aortogram also showed arterial supply coming from the left gastric artery of abdominal aorta branches. Left lower lobectomy and abnormal arterial ligation were performed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.466-473
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• 2001

Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH), originally termed an intravacular bronchioloalveolar tumor, is a rare pulmonary neoplasm with a vascular origin and slow rate of malignancy. It affects various organs such as the liver, the central nervous system, lung, etc. Clinically, pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma has been considered to be a borderline malignancy, a generally indolent and nonaggressive tumor that displaces the pulmonary parenchyma over a number of years by slowly enlarging the tumor nodule. The clinical course of PEH is known to be usually benign. Here we report an unusual case of PEH that was highly malignant and was eventually fatal. The PEH was confirmed by microscopic analysis and immunohistochemical staining of CD31+(a membrane receptor and a sensitive and specific marker for vascular lesions) from an open lung biopsy specimen.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.458-461
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• 2007

The typical radiographic findings of pulmonary edema from the increased hydrostatic pressure shows centrally localized consolidation, which is known as a "butterfly or bat's wing" pattern. These terms describe the anatomic distribution of edema that uniformly involve the hilum and medulla of the lung but not the peripheral region of the lung parenchyma (cortex). We present a case of butterfly wing-like pulmonary edema on a chest radiograph by mitral regurgitation due to an idiopathic chordal rupture.