• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.238-243
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• 2013

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the "diagnosis changed" rate in patients notified as tuberculosis (TB) on the Korean TB surveillance system (KTBS). Methods: A total of 1,273 patients notified as TB cases on the KTBS in one private tertiary hospital in 2011 were enrolled in the present study. Patients were classified into three groups: "diagnosis maintained", "diagnosis changed" (initially notified as TB, but ultimately diagnosed as non-TB), and "administrative error" (notified as TB due to administrative errors). Results: Excluding 17 patients in the "administrative error" group, the "diagnosis maintained" and "diagnosis changed" groups included 1,097 (87.3%) and 159 patients (12.7%), respectively. Common causes of "diagnosis changed" were nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease (51.7%, 61/118), and pneumonia (17.8%) in cases notified as pulmonary TB, and meningitis (19.5%, 8/41) and Crohn's disease (12.2%) in cases notified as extrapulmonary TB. Being older than 35 years of age (odds ratio [OR], 2.18) and a positive acid-fast bacilli stain (OR, 1.58) were positive predictors and a TB-related radiological finding (OR, 0.42) was a negative predictor for a "diagnosis changed" result via multivariate logistic regression analysis in pulmonary TB cases. Conclusion: Because of a high "diagnosis changed" rate in TB notifications to the KTBS, the TB incidence rate measured by the KTBS may be overestimated. Considering the worldwide trend toward increased NTM disease, the "diagnosis changed" rate may increase over time. Thus, when reporting the annual TB notification rate in Korea, the exclusion of "diagnosis changed" cases is desirable.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1421-1425
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• 2015

Aims: Pleiotrophin (PTN), an angiogenic factor, is associated with various types of cancer, including lung cancer. Our aim was to investigate the possibility of using serum PTN as an early indicator regarding disease diagnosis, classification and prognosis, for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Significant differences among PTN levels in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC, n=40), NSCLC (n=136), and control subjects with benign pulmonary lesions (n=21), as well as patients with different pathological subtypes of NSCLC were observed. Results: A serum level of PTN of 300.1 ng/ml, was determined as the cutoff value differentiating lung cancer patients and controls, with a sensitivity and specificity of 78.4% and 66.7%, respectively. Negative correlations between serum PTN level and pathological differentiation level, stage, and survival time were observed in our cohort of patients with NSCLC. In addition, specific elevation of PTN levels in pulmonary tissue in and around NSCLC lesions in comparison to normal pulmonary tissue obtained from the same subjects was also observed (n=2). Conclusion: This study suggests that the serum PTN level of patients with NSCLC could be an early indicator for diagnosis and prognosis. This conclusion should be further assessed in randomized clinical trials.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.271-277
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• 1992

Diffuse panbronchiollitis (DPB), a rare progressive disorder, has lately been receiving increasing attention. DPB is a disease of obscure etiology, characterized by chronic inflammation localized mainly in the region of respiratory bronchiole just distal to the terminal bronchioles. In 1983, Homma and coworkers reported 82 cases of a new clinicopathological entity, DPB, in Japan. Also DPB is a disease largely restricted geographically to Japan but the prevalence in other countries is extremely low. Histoloically, it is characterized by a suppurative bronchiolitis involving primarily the respiratory and terminal bronchioles with subsequent progression to bronchiectasis. The disease progresses rapidly and results in respiratory failure due to repeated respiratory infections. We experienced a cases of DPB accompanied with chronic maxillary sinusitis in both sinuses. Diagnosis of DPB was comfirmed by pathological results from thoracoscopic lung biopsy, typical radiological findings, clinical symptoms and pulmonary function test. After treatment with erythromycin for 6 months, the patient's condition and the typical micronodular densities on the chest radiography improved. A few case of DPB was reported in Korea. We report a case of DPB through thoracoscopic lung biopsy.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.470-473
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this prospective case-control study was to survey the detection rate of respiratory viruses in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) by using multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and to investigate the clinical implications of the prevalence of respiratory viruses during the acute phase of KD. Methods: RT-PCR assays were carried out to screen for the presence of respiratory syncytial virus A and B, adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza viruses 1 to 4, influenza virus A and B, metapneumovirus, bocavirus, coronavirus OC43/229E and NL63, and enterovirus in nasopharyngeal secretions of 55 KD patients and 78 control subjects. Results: Virus detection rates in KD patients and control subjects were 32.7% and 30.8%, respectively (P=0.811). However, there was no significant association between the presence of any of the 15 viruses and the incidence of KD. Comparisons between the 18 patients with positive RT-PCR results and the other 37 KD patients revealed no significant differences in terms of clinical findings (including the prevalence of incomplete presentation of the disease) and coronary artery diameter. Conclusion: A positive RT-PCR for currently epidemic respiratory viruses should not be used as an evidence against the diagnosis of KD. These viruses were not associated with the incomplete presentation of KD and coronary artery dilatation.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2017

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder in which respiratory flow decreases or disappears despite respiratory effort due to occlusion of the upper respiratory tract during sleep. Oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory reaction induced by the obstruction cause complications such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes and increase cancer incidence. Furthermore, in patients with interstitial lung disease, obstructive sleep apnea has a very high prevalence and is thought to have a close pathophysiological and clinical correlation. In other words, obstructive sleep apnea could be the cause or a complication of interstitial lung disease ; when these two afflictions coexist, the prognosis of the patient is worse. In patients with interstitial lung disease with obstructive sleep apnea, CPAP treatment significantly improved sleep and quality of life, as well as improved morbidity and mortality in a recent study. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with interstitial lung disease are very important, and additional studies designed to include patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as well as patients with advanced interstitial lung disease should be performed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.1
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• pp.32-36
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• 2013

A 43-year-old woman with breast cancer who was on neoadjuvant chemotherapy presented with cough, sputum and mild fever. High-resolution computed tomography showed diffuse ground glass opacities in bilateral lungs and subpleural patchy consolidations. Initially, she was thought to have pneumonia or interstitial lung diseases such as drug-induced pneumonitis and treated with antibiotics and steroids. She subsequently got breast cancer surgery because of disease progression, and concurrent thoracoscopic lung biopsy revealed metastatic carcinoma of the lung from breast cancer. The diagnosis of suspected interstitial lung disease can be made without lung biopsy, but malignancy should always be considered and lung biopsy should be performed in the absence of a definitive clinical diagnosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.326-330
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• 1984

Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation [C.C.A.M], one of lung bud anomalies, is an unusual lesion, only about 200 cases baring been reported by 1980, and characterized by marked proliferation of terminal respiratory structures. Recently we experienced two infants with C.C.A,M., whose clinical courses were quite different. On case 1, the patient was 25-day-old female, and suffered from progressive respiratory distress for 10 days duration. A right middle lobectomy was performed, with a satisfactory postoperative course. On case II, the patient was 7omonth-old male, and admitted for evaluation of known pulmonary anomaly, which was detected for the first time during hospitalization for treatment of pneumonia at 1 month of his age. He underwent a lingular segmentectomy, but died of respiratory insufficiency on postop 10th day. We believe that awareness of the presence of C.C.A.M. is important in making the differential diagnosis of progressive respiratory disease or of recurrent pulmonary infection in infants.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.407-412
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• 1994

Congenital long-segment tracheal stenosis which involves nearly entire trachea and carina is very rare disease, but leads to life threatening obstruction in infancy and childhood. Symptoms are ranged from stridor and wheezing to severe cyanosis and respiratory failure. Routine chest X-ray is somewhat helpful to diagnose it, but definitive diagnosis can be made by bronchoscopy or tracheogram for severely narrowed tracheal lumen.Recently, we experienced a case of congenital tracheal stenois, type 1 by Cantrell classification with carinal involvement. After costal cartilage was designed as oval shaped flap and covered with pericardium, anterior and posterior augmentation was done with prepared costal cartilage.This patient died of respiratory failure at 13 days postoperatively, probably due to sustaining obstruction in association in with failure to make a sufficient widening at carinal level.Important issues in the management of congenital tracheal stenosis are rapid diagnosis, selection of appropriate surgical procedure, and detailed anesthetic schedule.In the future, more biocompatible material and more effective surgical procedures should be studied to reduce the surgical mortality and morbidity of the complicated tracheal stenosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.819-823
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• 1991

The congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung is a rare disease, and is one of the most common congenital lung diseases which require prompt surgical intervention. The prognosis depends on its tissue type, prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention. The lesion consists of enlarged, variable sized multiple cyst with overgrowth of terminal bronchioles, like hamartoma. This disease can be associated with other vascular anomalies or other congenital defect especially in type II lesion We recently experienced one case of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation The patient was 2 months old infant who showed respiratory distress without associated anomaly. After right upper lobe lobectomy, the patient was recovered uneventfully.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.640-644
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• 2003

The endobronchial presentation of Hodgkin's disease is defined as : 1) having the histological features of Hodgkin's disease, irrespective of the biopsy site, and 2) a bronchoscopic visualization of an endobronchial tumor at the time of the initial diagnosis. The presentation of Hodgkin's disease, as an endobronchial lesion, is very uncommon, with only a few isolated cases having been reported, and no accurate incidence is available. An endobronchial lymphoma must be considered when patients present with an endobronchial tumor, as careful staging and treatment may lead to a cure and avoid of the need for major surgery. Also, when patients, with a known lymphoma, present with respiratory symptoms, they should be considered for a bronchoscopy to avoid understaging of the disease. Herein, a case of endobronchial Hodgkin's disease, in a 20-year-old woman, is reported.