• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2017

Background: The influence of lifestyle diseases on postoperative complications and long-term survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether lifestyle diseases were significant risk factors of perioperative and long-term surgical outcomes in elderly patients with stage I NSCLC. Methods: Between December 1995 and November 2013, 110 patients aged 65 years or older who underwent surgical resection of stage I NSCLC at Dong-A University Hospital were retrospectively studied. We assessed the presence of the following lifestyle diseases as risk factors for postoperative complications and long-term mortality: diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and ischemic heart disease. Results: The mean age of the patients was 71 years (range, 65 to 82 years). Forty-six patients (41.8%) had hypertension, making it the most common lifestyle disease, followed by diabetes (n=23, 20.9%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 0.9% (n=1). The 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 78% and 64%, respectively. Postoperative complications developed in 32 patients (29.1%), including 7 (6.4%) with prolonged air leakage, 6 (5.5%) with atrial fibrillation, 5 (4.5%) with delirium and atelectasis, and 3 (2.7%) with acute kidney injury and pneumonia. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the presence of a lifestyle disease was the only independent risk factor for postoperative complications. In survival analysis, univariate analysis showed that age, smoking, body mass index, extent of resection, and pathologic stage were associated with impaired survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that resection type (hazard ratio [HR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 4.49; p=0.030) and pathologic stage (HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.02 to 3.49; p=0.043) had independent adverse impacts on survival. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the presence of a lifestyle disease was a significant prognostic factor for postoperative complications, but not of survival, in elderly patients with stage I NSCLC. Therefore, postoperative complications may be influenced by the presence of a lifestyle disease.

• 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.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.6
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• pp.269-273
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• 2013

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal disease that holds a fatal opportunistic fungal infection in diabetes mellitus, hematological malignancy, and immunocompromised host. Isolated pulmonary mucormycosis is extremely rare. Optimal therapy is a combined medical-surgical approach and a management of the patient's underlying disease. Herein, we report a case-study of isolated pulmonary mucormycosis which was being presented as multiple lung nodules in a patient with no underlying risk factors. Considering that the patient had poor pulmonary functions, we treated him with only antifungal agent rather than a combined medical-surgical approach. After treatment with antifungal agent for six months, the nodules of pulmonary mucormycosis were improved with the prominent reductions of size on the computed tomography.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.576-580
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• 2006

Pulmonary endometriosis is an uncommon disease, and usually detected by catamenial hemoptysis. Treatment of pulmonary endometriosis may be medical(hormone therapy) or surgical. Since hormone therapy may cause sterility, most of patients who wish to conceive usually choose surgical resection. Although video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) has advantage of small scar, reducing postoperative pain and shortening hospital stay, it is not easy to locate the precise lesion and resect whole endometrial tissue not to be remained. 17 years old female with catamenial hemoptysis was treated sucessfully with a partial resection of the lung using VATS, and has been asymptomatic for 7months since the operation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.542-549
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• 2004

Catamenial hemoptysis is a rare condition caused by thoracic endometriosis that presents as tracheobronchial or pulmonary endometriosis. While hormonal treatment may cause virilization and sterility, due to the antiestrogenic effect, its surgical removal via thoracotomy is a particularly invasive procedure and is not recommended as the first choice treatment in young woman. Successful surgical removal by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has recently been reported, and may be indicated for young patients who at some stage would like to become pregnant. Herein, a case of a 25-year-old unmarried woman with catamenial hemoptysis, cured by VATS, is reported.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.600-604
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• 2001

Objective : The authors report the microsurgical anterolateral tunnel approach for the treatment of the cervical disc diseases and its postoperative surgical results. Methods : All surgical procedures followed the method of classical microsurgical anterior discectomy. Small tunnel(7-8mm) was made on the disc space reaching to the posterior longitudinal ligament. The disc materials and bony spurs were removed through this tunnel. Thirty-one patients of cervical disc herniation(24 cases with pure disc herniation, 7 cases with combined cervical spondylosis) were evaluated on the symptoms, conformation in plain X-ray, C-T, and MRI. The follow up time was over 2 years. Results : Postoperatively the result(following the out come scale) was excellent and good in Twenty-nine patients. One with fair result showed remnant disc particle and spur and another one is combined with cord contusion. One patient with lesion in C 3-4 space and two cervicothoracic junction showed excellent result. Two patients with osteoporosis also showed good results. Cervical spine curvature and disc space height were not changed on the plain X-ray and MRI in all patients. Twenty-nine patients were discharged within 3 days after surgery without any postoperative complications. Conclusions : The microsurgical anterolateral tunnel approach could be indicated for the treatment of patients with cervical disc diseases and with difficulty in achieving interbody fusion(the higher cervical level and cervicothoracic junction, osteoporosis etc.).

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.49-52
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• 2018

Purpose: Tularemia is an infection caused by Francisella tularensis. Its diagnosis and treatment may be difficult in many cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment modalities for pediatric tularemia patients who do not respond to medical treatment. Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was performed. A total of 19 children with oropharyngeal tularemia were included. Results: Before diagnosis, the duration of symptoms in patients was $32.15{\pm}17.8days$. The most common lymph node localization was the cervical chain. All patients received medical treatment (e.g., streptomycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline). Patients who had been given streptomycin, gentamicin, or doxycycline as initial therapy for 10-14 days showed no response to treatment, and recovery was only achieved after administration of oral ciprofloxacin. Response to treatment was delayed in 5 patients who had been given ciprofloxacin as initial therapy. Surgical incision and drainage were performed in 9 patients (47.5%) who were unresponsive to medical treatment and were experiencing abcess formation and suppuration. Five patients (26.3%) underwent total mass excision, and 2 patients (10.5%) underwent fine-needle aspiration to reach a conclusive differential diagnosis and inform treatment. Conclusion: The causes of treatment failure in tularemia include delay in effective treatment and the development of suppurating lymph nodes.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.30-45
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• 2001

In recent years, clinicians' and dentists' esthetic demands in dentistry have increased rapidly. The ultimate goal in modern restorative dentistry is to achieve "white" and "pink" esthetics in the esthetically important zones. Therefore, modern esthetic dentistry involves not only the restoration of lost teeth and their associated hard tissues, but increasingly the management and reconstruction of the encasing gingiva with adequate surgical techniques. Interdental space are filled by interdental papilla in the healthy gingiva, preventing plaque deposition and protecting periodontal tissue from infection. This also inhibits impaction of food remnants and whistling through the teeth during speech. These functional aspects are obviously important, but esthetic aspects are important as well. Complete and predictable restoration of lost interdental papillae remains one of the biggest challenges in periodontal reconstructive surgery. One of the most challenging and least predictable problems is the reconstruction of the lost interdental papilla. The interdental papilla, as a structure with minor blood supply, was left more or less untouched by clinicians. Most of the reconstructive techniques to rebuild lost interdental papillae focus on the maxillary anterior region, where esthetic defects appear interproximally as "black triangle". Causes for interdental tissue loss are, for example, commom periodontal diseases, tooth extraction, excessive surgical periodontal treatment, and localized progressive gingiva and periodontal diseases. If an interdental papilla is absent because of a diastema, orthodontic closure is the treatment of choice. "Creeping" papilla formation has been described by closing the interdental space and creating a contact area. In certain cases this formation can also be achieved with appropriate restorative techniques and alteration of the mesial contours of the adjacent teeth. The presence of an interdental papilla depends on the distance between the crest of bone and the interproximal contact point, allowing it to fill interdental spaces with soft tissue by altering the mesial contours of the adjacent teeth and positioning the contact point more apically. The interdental tissue can also be conditioned with the use of provisional crowns prior to the definitive restoration. If all other procedures are contraindicated or fail, prosthetic solutions have to be considered as the last possibility to rebuild lost interdental papillae. Interdental spaces can be filled using pink-colored resin or porcelain, and the use of a removable gingival mask might be the last opportunity to hide severe tissue defects.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2001

Aspergillosis refers to an infection with any species from the genus Aspergillus. Pleural aspergillosis is an uncommon disease with less than 30 cases having been reported in the literature since 1958. The etiologic factors for this aspergillosis are preexisting pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchopleural fistula, pleural drainage, and a lung resection. Surgical removal of the aspergillus-infected pleura is the main treatment for managing this disease. We have experienced two cases of pleural aspergillosis as a complication of a preexisting chronic empyema. The chest radiographs showed a pyopneumothorax with cavitation and the chest computed tomographic scans revealed a loculated pyopneumothorax with cavity formation suggesting a bronchopleural fistula. A grossly purulent fluid was extracted by thoracentesis, and Aspergillus fumigatus was grown from a fungus culture of the fluid. A decortication, wedge resection with a pleurectomy and a pleuropneumonectomy were performed. The postoperative course was satisfactory and the patients have been in good condition up to now. Pleural aspergillosis is a very rare and potentially life-threatening disease. However, good result without significant complication were obtained by treatment with systemic antifungal agents and surgical removal.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.326-329
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• 2005

A case of 51-year-old woman with a malignant solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) that exhibited no growth over a period of 4 years is reported. Surgical wedge resection revealed an adenocarcinoma upon intra-operative frozen examination. The operation was completed with a right upper lobectomy and complete lymphadenectomy. The authors recommend an early surgical procedure for any SPNs due to risk factors for developing lung cancer.