• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 1992

From january 1970 through december 1990, 130 cases of patients with chest penetrating injury were admitted to department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Chosun University Hospital. We analyzed above patients and obtained results were as follows: 1. The ratio of male to female was 7.1:1 in male predominance, and the majority[69.6%] was distributed from 2nd to 3rd decade. 2. The most common cause of chest penetrating injuries was stab wound. 3. 110 cases[84.5%] were arrived to our emergency room within six hours after trauma. 4. The most common injuring mode was hemo, pneumothorax. 5. The frequently injured site of the penetrating chest trauma was left side of the chest [64.65%]. 6. The common associated injuries of penetrating chest injuries were extremities injuries, abdominal injuries, head & facial injuries. 7. The common method of surgical treatment were closed thoracostomy[78 cases], open thoracotomy[20 cases], laparatomy[12 cases]. 8. The overall motality was 3.07%[4/130], and the causes were hypovolemic shock, sepsis and asphyxia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.271-275
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• 1992

One hundred forty patients with empyema thoracis were managed under the general anesthesia at the Seoul National University Hospital between 1980 and 1990. The patients, who were managed by thoracentesis or intercostal tube drainage alone, were excluded in this study. There were 92 males and 48 females, ranging from 8 to 80 years of age. Underlying pathologic lesions of empyema thoracis were primary bronchopulmonary infection [84%], postoperative empyema[11%], malignancy, paragonimiasis, spontaneous pneumothorax and so on. A single causal organism was isolated only in 17 patients[the most common being staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas, & streptacoccus pneumoniae], multiple organism in 31, and no growth in 32. Surgical treatment modalities were decortication[75], pleuropneumonectomy[30], decortication with lobectomy[10], empyemectomy[9], open drainage[13], Clagett procedure [6], thoracoplasty with or without muscle transposition[9]. Hospital mortality were in 2 cases[1.4%], one empyema related and the other nonrelated. In this study, bacteriologic findings were nonspecific and often polymicrobial. We conclude that early thoracotomy can be lifesaving in the presence of a benign clinical course.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.900-904
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• 1992

Pulmonary blastoma is a very rare, primary, malignant neoplasm of the lung. The tumor typically is large, well-defined mass and arises in the periphery of the lung. Histologically, it resembles fetal lung tissue evoking the concept that these tumors are drived from the primitive pluripotential pulmonary blastema, but controversy also exit about the nature of this tumor. Clinical evaluation is inconsistant and unreliable as to the diagnostic determination of the tumor type and degree of malignancy. Therefore, diagnosis is usually based on histologic findings. The prognosis after adequate resection appears to be better than for other malignant tumors of the lungs. We experienced a case of pulmonary blastoma occurring in 56-year-old female. She was hospitalized for evaluation of an abnormal shadow in the left lower lung field which found incidentally on chest roentgenogram. We approached the lesion though left posterolateral thoracotomy and performed the left lower lobectomy. The microscopic findings of resected specimen revealed characteristic appearance of pulmonary blastoma. The postoperative course was uneventful without complication.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.820-822
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• 1998

Primary malignant lymphoma of lung is a very rare disease, only 0.34% of all malignant lymphomas. In our case, a 76 year old male patient had a solitary mass without lympha- denopathy at chest CT scan. He underwent right middle lobectomy through a posterolateral thoracotomy incision. Pathologic study confirmed a diagnosis of malignant lymphoma and chemotherapy was started by an oncologist.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.171-175
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• 1983

The authors made a clinical study of 107 cases of empyema who were treated at Department of Thoracic Surgery of Chungnam National University Hospital during the period of Jan. 1976 through Aug. 1982 and compared the empyema of infant and children with that of adults. Following was the remits: 1. Male was predominant to female with the ratio of 2.5 to 1 and adult to infant was 2.6 to 1. 2. The cardinal symptoms were dyspnea, coughing, chest pain and fever. 3. Positive remit of bacteriological culture study was reported in 57% and the most common causative organism was staphylococcus in infant and childhood, E. coil in adult. 4. Most frequent predisposing factors of thoracic empyema in infant and childhood was pneumonia [53%], and in adult was pulmonary tuberculosis [40%]. 5. Treatment were combined with antibiotics therapy and several surgical procedures for empyema. 24 cases [22.4%] required open thoracotomy. 6. The mortality rate was 7.4% [8/107]. 86 cases [80.4%] were discharged with recovery and improvement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.129-135
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• 1982

Congenital pericardial defect is a rare anomaly, which was first described by M. Columbus in 1559. Four hundred years later the first clinical diagnosis was reported by Ellis et al. The congenital pericardial defect Is usually asymptomatic and Is found Incidentally at thoracotomy and autopsy, but it appears that partial absence of pericardium Is not Innocuous because of sudden death due to herniation of a portion of heart. We experienced congenital left pericardial defect in 20 year old female who was diagnosed as left ventricular aneurysm before operation. This patient complained of dyspnea on exertion and anterior chest discomfortness. Physical examination revealed Grade II pansystolic murmur on the 3rd and 4th intercostal space left sternal border. There were specific abnormal findings on the chest plain film, EKG, ultrasonography, and left ventriculography. On 9th July 1981, an operation was performed and found the left partial pericardial defect through which a large portion of left ventricle was herniated Into left pleural space. The method of operation was removal of adhesion and widening of the pericardial defect to avoid Incarceration. After operation, we observed marked Improvement of symptoms and disappearance of cardiac murmur.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 1982

Although most patients with penetrating injuries can be managed successfully with early tube thoracotomy, blood volume replacement & close observation, the remainder can be saved only by an aggressive operative intervention. From January 1959, to August 1980, 176 cases with penetrating injuries had been treated at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, National Medical Center. The ratio of male to female patient of penetrating chest wounds was 4.3:1 in male predominance and age from 10 to 40 occupied 76.7% of the total cases. Stab wounds was the most common penetrating injuries and followed by gunshot & glass wounds. To prevent early complications of penetrating chest injuries, thoracentesis were done in 29 cases [16%], and closed thoractomy in 40 cases [22.7%]. Open thoractomy, however, had to be done in 37 cases [21%] because of massive bleeding, hemopericardium, foreign body.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.232-236
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• 1978

Twenty-two years old male was operated for spontaneous rupture of the esophagus. In the event of perforation, there is nothing to prevent wide spread dissemination, and a devastating necrotizing chemical insult occurrs which is rapidly complicated by anaerobic and aerobic infection which quickly jeopardizes the patient`s life, often with a fatal result. For these reasons and despite modern diagnostic aids, anesthetic and operative technics, and antibiotics, perforation of the esophagus is still an alarming accident. In this case, thoracotomy and surgical closure of the perforation resulted in satisfactory outcome except postoperative fistula, which healed spontaneously.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.786-791
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• 1984

Mesothelioma is relatively uncommon tumor compared to other thoracic tumors. It is interesting that there is a strong relationship between occurrence of malignant mesothelioma and exposure to asbestos, which was established during the last two decades. Malignant mesothelioma is discouraging in viewing its treatments and survival rates. Surgery with ancillary treatment, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, were still palliative, although encouraging results were reported. Between 1958 to 1983 at NMC, we have been experienced 6 cases of mesothelioma, confirmed by pathohistologic findings. The patients were distributed between 19 to 52 y-o age & were 5 males and 1 female. There was evidence of exposure to asbestos in 1 case. The method of operation were decortication [1], decortication with removal of tumor [1], pleuropneumonectomy with chemotherapy [1], chemotherapy [1], exploratory thoracotomy [1], and no treatment in 1 case due to private affairs. Histologic findings were 2 cases of benign mesothelioma type.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.511-515
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• 1984

In this study, 213 cases of the spontaneous pneumothorax experienced at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital during from April, 1977, till Dec, 1983 were reviewed. 1.Sex ratio of the studied patients was 7.19;1 showing high incidence male patients. The incidence according to the age group showed that 20.2%, 18.3% of the patients belong to the age group 6th, 5th decade respectively. 2.The etiologic factors were as follows, tuberculous origin in 50.2%, unknown origin in 28.2%, COPD in 3.3%, bullae in 8.5%. The site was right in 47.9% and left in 44.1%, bilateral in 8%. 3.The clinical symptoms were frequently dyspnea in 35%, chest pain in 27.5%. 4.The employed method of treatment were as follow, bed rest with oxygen inhalation in 1.9%, closed thoracostomy in 95.8%, open thoracotomy in 7.98%, which bullectomy was performed in 12 cases and pneumonectomy in 3 cases and lobectomy in 1 case and decortication with simple closure of bleb was performed in remaining 1 case. 5.The duration of closed thoracostomy was longer in tuberculosis, which average duration was 11.28 days. 6.The overall recurrent rate was 12.3%.