• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 1986

Among the skeletal tuberculosis, tuberculous spondylitis is high incidence and curable disease, if early diagnosis and treatment are possible. We reviewed clinical manifestations and radiologic analysis of 30 cases tuberculous spondylitis from May 1983 to Sept. 1986, at Yeungnam medical center, Yeungnam University. The results were follows : 1. The frequent involve sites were thoracolumbar vertebra. 2. The continuous lesion is 86.7% of the all cases. 3. The most common type was intervertebral type, and lytic and sclerotic lesion were same incidence. 4. Paravertebral abscess, kyphosis and disc space narrowing were demonstrated more than 80.0% of the cases. 5. Computed tomography was more accurate diagnostic method rather than conventional plain study to evaluation of extent of lesion, involvement of spinal canal and cord, and size and location of paravertebral abscess. And CT guided abscess drainage procedure was helpful to diagnosis and treatment. 6. Ultrasonography was helpful to differential diagnosis between paravertebral abscess and other solid mass, and useful to follow up study of paravertebral abscess after treatment.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.108-111
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• 2004

Tuberculosis is not a common cause of liver abscess and it is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with hepatic mass. We report a case of tuberculous abscess of liver and spleen in a 15-year-old boy who presented with abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. The ultrasonographic and computed tomographic scan of the abdomen revealed multiple cystic lesions in the liver and spleen. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured from the ascitic fluid and biopsy specimen of lymph node. Follow up CT scan of the abdomen after anti-tuberculosis medication for eighteen months showed complete resolution of the cystic lesions with calcified nodules.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 1985

Intraabdommal abscess usually causes distress with fever, leukocytosis, pain and toxicity. Diagnosis of intraabdominal abscess is occasionally difficult and It has high morbidity. However radiologic method, such as ultrasonography, CT scan, or RI scan are helpful to early detection of intraabdominal abscess. Among these methods, ultrasonography is a non-invasive technique and performed without discomfort to patient. And also differential diagnosis between cystic and solid lesion is very easy and sequential ultrasonography in same patient is valuable for the evaluation of treatment effect. We analyzed the ultrasonic features of 48 cases with intra-abdominal abscesses and the results are as follows; 1. In total 48 cases, the intra-abdominal abscesses were 30 cases, the retroperitoneal abscesses, 5 cases, and the visceral abscesses, 13 cases. 2. The causes of the intra-abdominal abscesses were perforating appendicitis (25 cases), postoperative complications (5 cases), pyogenic and amebic hepatic abscesses (13 cases), and the others (5 cases). 3. Round or oval shaped lesions were 26 cases (54%), irregular shape, 18 cases (38%), and multiple abscess formation in 4 cases (8 %). 4. The size of the lesions were between 5 and 10cm in diameter in 54% of total 48 cases, and the most frequent feature of the echo-pattern of the lesions was cystic with or without internal echogenicity (69%).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.184-194
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• 1999

Backgrounds : The advent of penicillin has led to the marked reduction in the mortality from pneumococcal bacteremia, however, the mortality is still relatively high in this post-antibiotic era. Actually the prevalence of infection due to penicillin-resistant penumococci is increasing worldwide, and it is especially high in Korea due to irrelevant use of antibiotics. So, the high mortality of pneumococcal sepsis might be related to the emergence of penicillin-resistant strains, however, many other antibiotics, which eradicate pneumococci effectively, are available in these days. This has led us to suspect the role of penicillin-resistance in the high mortality rate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of penicillin resistance on the mortality of patients with penumococcal bacte remia. Methods: The study population consisted of 50 adult patients with penumococcal bacteremia who were admitted between Jan, 1990 and July, 1997. Medical records were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Most of the patients (96%) had underlying diseases. The most common local disease associated with pneumococcal bacteremia was pneumonia (42%), which was followed by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (14%), cholangitis (10%), meningitis (8%), liver abscess (4%), pharyngotonsillitis (4%), sinusitis (2%) and cellulitis (2%). While the overall case-fatality rate in this study was 24%, it was higher when peumococcal bacteremia was associated with pneumonia (42%) or meningitis (50%). The rate of penicillin resistance was 40%, which was increased rapidly from 1991. The rate of penicillin resistance was significantly higher in patients with the history of recent antibiotics use and hospitalization within 3 months respectively. The clinical manifestations, that is, age, severity of underlying diseases, nosocomial infection, associated local diseases, and the presence of shock or acute renal failure were not statistically different between the patients with penicillin-resistant and -sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. The mortality of patients infected with penicillin-resistant pneumococci was not statistically different from those with penicillin-sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. Conclusion: Penicillin resistance is not associated with high mortality in adult patients with pneumococcal bacteremia. As the overall mortality is high, active penumococcal vaccination is recommended in patients with high risk of infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1199-1213
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• 1998

Background : The number of immunocompromised hosts has been increasing steadily and a new pulmonary infiltrate in these patients is a potentially lethal condition which needs rapid diagnosis and treatment. In this study we sought to examine the clinical manifestations, radiologic findings, and therapeutic outcomes of pulmonary mycoses presenting as a new pulmonary infiltrate in immunocompromised hosts. Method : All cases presenting as a new pulmonary infiltrate in immunocompromised hosts and confirmed to be pulmonary mycoses by pathologic examination or by positive culture from a sterile site between October of 1996 and April of 1998 were included in the study and their chart and radiologic findings were retrospectively reviewed. Results : In all, 14 cases of pulmonary mycoses from 13 patients(male : female ratio = 8 : 5, median age 47 yr) were found. Twelve cases were diagnosed as aspergillosis while two were diagnosed as mucormycosis. Major risk factors for fungal infections were chemotherapy for hematologic malignancy(10 cases) and organ transplant recipients(4 cases). Three cases were receiving empirical amphotericin B at the time of appearance of new lung infiltrates. Cases in the hematologic malignancy group had more prominent symptoms : fever(9/10), cough(6/10), sputum(5/10), dyspnea(4/10), chest pain(5/10). Patients in the organ transplant group had minimal symptoms(p<0.05). On simple chest films, all of the cases presented as single or multiple nodules(6/14) or consolidations(8/14). High resolution computed tomograph showed peri-lesional ground glass opacities(14/14), pleural effusions(5/14), and cavitary changes(7/14). Definitive diagnostic methods were as follows : 10 cases underwent minithoracotomy, 2 underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, 1 underwent percutaneous needle aspiration and 1 case was diagnosed by culture of abscess fluid. All cases received treatment with amphotericin B with 1 case each being treated with liposomal amphotericin B and itraconazole due to renal toxicity. Lung lesion improved in 12 of 14 patient but 4 patients died before completing therapy. Conclusion : When a new lung infiltrate develops presenting either as a nodule or consolidation in a neutropenic patient with hematologic malignancy or in a transplant recipient, you should always consider pulmonary mycoses as one of the differential diagnosis. By performing aggressive work up and early treatment, we may improve prognosis of these patients.