• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.621-625
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• 1996

"Middle lobe syndrome" which was described y Graham and associates at first is always caused by ex- ternal bronchial compression by Iymph nodes. Although the patients may not present any symptom, the most common presenting symptoms were cough, dyspnea, fever, hemoptysis, and chest pain. Diagnostic procedures includ chest X-ray bronchoscopy, brochography, chest CT, and the principal finding is the contracted middle lobe which is usually airless. We experienced fifteen cases of middle lobe syndrome from April 1990 to May 1995. Eleven patients were treated surgically. The surgical candidates for middle lobe syndrome are suspicious malignancy, fixed bronchiectasis, bronchostenosis, intractable to medical treatment, recurrent infection. Operations were right middle lobectomy (8), right middle and lower bilobectomy (2), right upper and middle bilobectomy (1). Postoperative histological findings were tuberculosis in six, chronic inflammation in three, malignancy in one, and focal hemorrhage in one. There were two cases of postoperat ve complications which were postoperative atelectasis and hepatopathy.patopathy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.340-346
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• 1991

Tuberculous tracheobronchitis is defined as a specific inflammation of the trachea or major bronchi caused by the tubercle bacillus and recognized as one of the most common and serious complication of pulmonary tuberculosis. It had been a diagnostic challenge in prebronchoscopic era and since 1968, fiberoptic bronchoscopy has been accepted as a safe and valuable diagnostic procedure of tuberculous tracheobronchitis. Now, it remains a troublesome therapeutic problem due to its sequelae such as bronchostenosis, bronchiectasis and bronchial deformity. The authors analyzed the clinical features, radiological findings and bronchoscopic findings with pathologic and bacteriologic study on 61 cases of tuberculous tracheobronchitis and following results were obtained. 1) The peak incidence was in the fourth decade and male to female ratio was 1:3.4. 2) The most common symptom was cough (86.9%) and followed by sputum (49.2%), dyspnea (27.9%), fever (19.8%), weight loss (11.5%), hemoptysis (6.6%), hoarseness (6.6%) and chest discomfort (3.3%) and localized wheezing was heard in 18%. 3) In chest X-ray, consolidation with collapse was observed in 70.5%, and followed by consolidation only (18.0%), mediastinal node enlargement (8.2%), cavitary lesion (6.6%), suspicious hilar mass (3.3%) and miliary lesion (1.6%) and there was no abnormal findings in 4.9%. 4) Bronchoscopy showed hyperplastic lesion in 67.2%, mucosal lesion (18.0%), ulcerative lesion (9.8%) and stenotic lesion (4.9%). The most common site of bronchial lesion was right upper bronchus (36.1%) and followed by right main bronchus (34.4%), left main bronchus (29.5%), left upper bronchus (16.4%), right middle bronchus (8.2%), right lower bronchus (6.6%) and left lower bronchus (3.3%). 5) Chronic granulomatous inflammation with or without caseation necrosis on microscopic examination was confirmed in 69.7%, bronchial washing AFB stain was positive in 34.1%, prebronchoscopic sputum AFB stain was positive in 88.1% and postbronchoscopic sputum AFB stain was positive in 30.1%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.397-402
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• 1996

A clinical study of 36 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis that had had a surgical resection during the period of 13 years from January 1979 to December 1992 was performed in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital The ratio between male and female was 3.5 1 and the age of peak incidence was in the 2nd and 3rd decades. The common prodromal symptoms were chest pain (38.9 %) and hemoptysis or blood tinged sputum (36.1 %). Preoperative diagnostic examination of sputum positivity for AFB stain despite antituberculosis chemotherapy was noticed in 22.8 oyo . Surgical indications were destroyed lobe or segment with or without cavity (58.3 oyo), mass unable to differentiate from lung cancer (16.7 %), total destroyed lung (13.9 %), bronchostenosis with atelectasis and distal bronchiectasis (11.1 %). Types of resection were pneumonectomy in 16.7%, lobec omy and segmentectomy 2.7%, lobectomy 50 %, segmentectomy 27.8%, and wedge resection 2.7%. Postoperatively, pulmonary function Improved compared to the preoperative examination, although these changes were not statistically significant. One patient died of ulcerative colitis due to drug hypersensitivity, and the postoperative complications were remnant dead space in 11.1 %, spreading of tuberculosis in 5.5%, and empyema with BPF in 5.5%.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.442-448
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• 1993

Foreign body aspiration, although not an uncommon problem in children, is unusual in adults and is overlooked as a cause of airway obstruction. Small foreign bodies that lodge in the peripheral airway are often asymptomatic initially and can result in respiratory symptoms several years later. Especially in the cases of otherwise healthy subjects, even though manifested overt respiratory symptoms, diagnosis can be delayed due to lack of history of aspiration or unnoticed aspiration. A 57-year-old male was admitted to Yonsei University College of Medicine Severance hospital due to left upper chest pain for five months. on the past history he had been diagnosed as bronchiectasis about 20 years ago. He showed radiologically bead-like bronchostenosis and a calcific density protruding into the lumen of left upper lobar bronchus. Bronchoscopically broncholith was revealed with the finding of endobronchial obstruction of each upper and lingular division of left upper lobar bronchus due to mucoid impaction and surrounding inflammed bronchial mucosa. The preoperative diagnosis was broncholithiasis due to chronic inflammatory process. Lung perfusion scan shows absence of perfusion in left upper lobe. So left upper lobectomy was performed. But from the pathologic specimen an incisor tooth was emerged. Later a history of tooth extraction thirty years ago at dental clinic was found. We report a case of bronchial obstruction due to occult aspiration of a tooth with a review of the literatures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1232-1240
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• 1996

From January 1990 through June 1995, we operated on 121 patients who were suspected for pulmonary tuberculosis without definite final diagnosis. After operation the final pathologic diagnoses were as follows: 68 pulmonary tuberculosis in which 29 were tuberculoma, 23 lung cancer, 16 bronchiectasis, 6 aspergilloma, 2 lung abscess, 2 benign cyst and 4 others. In 121 cases, 81 were male and 40 were female and the peak age incidence was 4th decade in tuberculosis (39.7%) and 6th and 7th decade in lung cancer (69.6%). The diagnoses in 44 cases presented roentgenographically as pulmonary nodules were pulmonary tuberculosis(29 cases) and lung cancer(15 cases). Tuberculous nodules tended to be smaller in size with calcification and satellite lesions compared to carcinomas. Indications for operation were solitary nodules 44 cases (36.4%); destroyed lobe 31(25.6%); hemoptysis 25 (20.7%); cavitary lesion 11(9.1 %); bronchostenosis 3 (2.5%); destroyed lung 5(4.1 %) and destroyed lung with empyema 2(1.7%). We conclude that preoperatively suspected pulmonary tuberculosis should be distinguished from various pulmonary lesions such as carcinoma, bronchiectasis, aspergilloma, lung abscess and benign cyst. For the possibility of carcinoma, pulmonary nodules of size greater than 3cm, non-calcified, non satellite lesion, newly developed nodule even under the anti-tuberculous medication, negative PPD skin test with elevated CEA level are recommended for an early resectional surgery and follow-up and delayed surgery is recommended in cases such as pulmonary nodules less than 3 cm in size with calcification, satellite lesion, positive PPD skin reaction and elevated ESR, CRP, ALP levels.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.365-376
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• 2000

Background : Ever since Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy was introduced into clinical practice, it has played an important role in both diagnosis and therapy of respiratory diseases. Repeated bronchoscopic examinations is are not so uncommon. This study was designed prospectively to assess the clinical availability of the Repeated Flexible Bronchoscopy (RFB). Methods : Pre-established indications were as follows : 1) To confirm diagnosis or the cell type in proven malignancy 2) to diagnose or locate hemoptysis 3) to follow-up or confirm recurrence 4) to use in therapy. We performed RFB and analyzed the data in 156 patients during 28-month period. Results : The frequency of RFB was 23.0%. The indication for diagnosis or cell type of malignancy was 25 cases, of which 2 cases were confirmed by a third bronchoscopic examination and 3 cases by surgical procedures. Localization of the bleeding site was confirmed in 53.8%. RFB for small cell lung cancer yielded more information on residual or recurred lesion not apparent even with the CT scan in 30%. Previous cases of bronchostenosis due to endo-bronchial tuberculosis was shown to have worsened in 66.7%. Therapeutic manipulations were done in 126 cases, and bronchial suction was most common. Complications showed decreasing tendency with repeated examinations. Conclusion : The RFB for diagnosis or cell type of malignancy was useful in that comfirmation of diagnosis was possible in 85.7% of malignancy. More aggressive procedures should be employed including TBLB or TBNA. The RFB showed possible usefulness in the follow-up of patients with small cell lung cancer. For the patients with hemoptysis or endobronchial tuberculosis, the RFB did not the significance did not show significance because its results did not influence the diagnosis, therapy or clinical course.