• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.328-335
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• 1976

This case report included 4 cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernias, 3 cases of non-traumatic diaphragmatic hernias, and 3 cases of eventration of the diaphragm. Among the traumatic hernias, one case was in immediate phase of traumatic diaphragmatic rupture by traffic accident, 2 cases were in intermediate phase with chronic respiratory or vague gastrointestinal symptoms after traffic accident, and the other was developed after an operation, decortication for a chronic empyema with severe pleural calcifications, damaging the diaphragm. Three cases of nontraumatic diaphragmatic hernia were presented, including 2 cases of probable Bochadlek's hernia (Parents refused operation) and a case of Morgagni's hernia with severe gastrointestinal symptoms. And three cases of eventration of the diaphragm with symptoms were also reported. Results of all treated cases were excellent.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.285-298
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• 1990

The records of 67 patients who had been operated as an esophageal cancer during the period from 1973 to 1989 at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hanyang University Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The results were summarized as follows ; The age ranged from 28 years old to 80 years old. The highest incidence was 5th decades, then 6th decades, and the incidence of male was 10 times as the incidence of female[M:F= 10.16: 1]. The locations were lower esophagus 44%, middle esophagus 38.8%, upper esophagus 11.9% and cervical esophagus 4.4% The frequent symptoms were dysphagia [88%], epigastric or substernal pain and discomfort [29.8%], weight loss [20.8%], and laryngeal dryness [1.4%]. The most common interval between the onset of dysphagia and admission was 2-3 months; 82% of patients was within 6 months, The cancer consisted of stage I [3%], stage II [11.9%], stage III[47.6%], and stage IV [33.7%] The resectability of cancer was 67%. The organs of substitute were stomach in 21 cases, right colon 6 cases, and jejunum in 8 CRSCS. The relation between invasion of tumor and lymph node metastasis was analyzed: mucosal involvement: 1 case/2case, muscle invasion; 0/2 full thickness; 4/6, adjacent structure 7/12. Postoperative complications were pneumonia, pleural effusion, hoarseness, mediastinitis, anastomosis site leakage, reoperation due to stenosis, chylothorax, empyema, mechanical ileus, wound infection, meat impaction at anastomosis site, and repair of gastrostomy site leakage. Adjuvant therapies were irradiation [15cases], chemotherapy [14cases], and Bougie dilatation [4 cases],

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.703-708
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• 1984

Fibrothorax is the end stage of chronic pathologic processes of pleura such as hemothorax, empyema, or tuberculous effusion. The pleural space become adherent and obliterated, and the lung parenchyma is covered by a thick, fibrous, unexpandable "peel", so the lung function is diminished markedly with impaired ventilation and oxygenation. Constrictive pericarditis is often accompanied fibrothorax, also cardiac and hemodynamic function is deteriorated. Surgical relief of these fibrous peels causes remarkable improvement in pulmonary function, cardiac and hemodynamic function, and subjective symptoms. We experienced a case of bilateral fibrothorax combined with constrictive pericarditis which occured 3 years after bilateral tuberculous effusion. Decortication and percardiectomy were done at the same time through bilateral submammary thoracotomy with sternal transection. Comparing postoperative Peripheral venous pressure, Circulation time, Pulmonary function test, Arterial blood gas analysis, Subjective symptoms with preoperative conditions showed noticeable improvement.provement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.782-791
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• 1991

In Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje University, we experienced 174 cases of pulmonary resections for pulmonary tuberculosis from Jun. 1979 to Feb. 1990. In all of them automatic stapling devices were used for division of lung parenchyme and /or bronchial closure. The results were as follows; l. In 174 cases[male 100, female 74], third and fourth decades were 116 cases [66.7%]. 2. Indications for lung resection in the radiographic findings were destroyed lung 47 cases[27.0%], destroyed lobe 42 cases[24.1%], cavitary lesions 42 cases[24.1%], tuberculoma 22 cases[12.7%], and bronchial lesions 21 cases[12.1%]. 3. The mean of staplers used in the operations was 1.6, and possible stapler-associated complications were only 2 cases of bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy. 4. Twenty-seven of 36 patients with bilateral lesions and 52 of unilateral ones on chest X-ray films were AFB positive on preoperative sputum smears. Twenty-three[85.2%] of bilateral lesions and 51[98.1%] of unilateral ones were AFB negative at 6 months after operations. 5. Main complications of resections were operative death 1[0.6%], empyema 4[2.3%], respiratory insufficiency 3[1.7%], pleural dead space 5[2.9%], and bronchial spreading of tuberculosis 2[1.1%]. Bronchopleural fistula were only 2 cases after pneumonectomy and none after lobectomy or segmentectomy. 6. One hundred and forty two patients[92.8%] of 153 with available follow-up data were in the state of good quality of life.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 1974

Acute suppurative pericarditis is recognized as a rare disease since development of antibiotics but therapeutically as an important one. To our knowledge, acute suppurative pericarditis alone has not been reported previously in Korea. In this paper, we report 5 cases of acute suppurative pericarditis which were experienced during the period between January 1959 and December 1973. The patients ranged in age from 9 months to 59 years at the time of admission. Four of 5 patients were male and one female. Acute suppurative pericarditis is usually associated with pneumonia, empyema, sepsis, osteoarthritis, lung abscess, cholecystitis or tonsillitis. In our series, pneumonia was the most common associated disease. One patient had osteoarthritis. Pleural effusions were observed in three of the 5 patients. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from pericardial fluid in 4 patients and also cultured from both pericardial and synovial fluid in one. Three of the 5 patients had cardiac tamponade and one patient required prompt pericardiocentesis. 3 of the 5 patients were treated with antibiotics and pericardiostomy, one with antibiotics and pericardiocentesis, and one with antibiotics and saline irrigation through drainage sinus from the pericardial sac. Four of the five patients were recovered without pericardial constriction. One was discharged with poor condition. In this instance, follow-up study couldn`t be made.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.542-549
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• 2002

Purpose : The purpose of our study was to assess the usefulness of the Tl-201 SPECT for the detection of the postoperative tumor recurrence on chest wall. Methods: 28 patients including 14 with suspected recurrence of tumor in the chest wall on postoperative chest cr scan, 10 with postoperative pleural effusion which proved benign on radiologic, cytologic and laboratory findings, and 4 with chronic tuberculous empyema as control group were included. All patients underwent SPECT 30 minutes and 4 hours after intravenous injection of 111MBq of Tl-201. Tumor uptake was visually graded by two interpreters and scored as follows : no uptake:0, similar to contralateral lung: 1, higher than contralateral lung but less than heart:2 and similar to heart:3. Results : Markedly increased (grade 3 or 2) Tl-201 uptake was noted in patients with suspected recurrence of tumor in the chest wall (13/14) whereas no (8/10) or minimal (2/10) uptake along the collapsed lung in patients with postoperative benign pleural effusion. In two patients, Tl-201 SPECT revealed additional recurrent tumor mass lesions that were barely perceptible on chest cr scan. Patients with chronic tuberculous empyema showed relatively smoothly marginated increased uptake along the chest wall 4/4), but lesser in degree (grade 1 or 2), when compared to recurrent tumor uptake. Conclusion : Tl-201 lung SPECT seems to be useful to detect postoperative tumor recurrence on chest wall and to differentiate malignant from benign pleural effusion and may provide additional information to the morphologic data obtained by CT.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.987-991
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• 2004

Background: Inadequate drainage of traumatic hemothoraces may result in prolonged hospitalization and complication such as empyema, fibrothorax and pleural calcification. This needs to be the placement of a tube thorascostomy which is efficacious in more than 80% of cases. Other cases require surgical treatment. Material and Method: From March 2002 to February 2003, there were 123 patients who was done closed thorascostomy in traumatic hemothorax. 10 patients (group I) were undergone early retained clot evacuation with video assisted thoracoscopic surgery, but 5 patients (group II) who developed a localized hematoma or empyema were operated. Male were more than female and mean average was similar in both group. The most common cause of injury was traffic accidents and frequently combined lesions were a abdomen. Result: Interval from injury and operation, mean operation time, duration of tube drainage and hospital stay in group I were shorter than group II (p<0.05). Operation-related complication and recurrence of fluid collection within follow up period (17.8$\pm$3.8 months) in group I were none, but in group II (21.5$\pm$5.3 months) were 2 cases. Conclusion: Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery can be utilized as an effective and safe method for the removal of retained clotted hemothorax within 7 days.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2008

Alcaligenes xylosoxidans is a catalase and oxidase positive, motile, nonfermentative and gram-negative rod bacterium. A. xylosoxidans infection is a rare cause of pulmonary infection and little information concerning treatment is available. The majority of patients that develop A. xylosoxidans infection belong to a high-risk group due to an immunocompromised condition or due to pulmonary cystic fibrosis. We report two rare cases of immunocompentent patients that developed a pulmonary infection due to A. xylosoxidans. A 77-year-old man was admitted with a lung abscess. The patient denied having any prior medical illness. A culture of bronchial washing fluid showed the presence of A. xylosoxidans. Despite appropriate antibiotic treatment, the patient died from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Another patient, a 61-year-old man without an underlying disease, was admitted with empyema. Under the condition of a closed thoracostomy, a high fever persisted and the empyema was also aggravated. A. xylosoxidans was detected from a culture of pleural fluid. Susceptible antibiotic treatment was provided and surgical intervention was performed. We report these cases with a review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1133-1137
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• 1996

From September 1994 to October 1995, we are reporting clinical results of 67 patients whom underwent video-assisted trio rabic surgery(VATS). 1. They were diagnosed as spontaneous pneumothorax In )5, diffuse interstitial lung disease in 9, empyema in 7, hemothorax in 5, malignant pleural effusion in 3, hyperhidrosis in 3, foreign body in chest cavity in 2, mesothelioma in 1, miliary tuberculosis in 1 and organizing pneumonia in 12. In pneumothorax, bullectomy in 33 and open bellectoiny in 2 due to pleural adhesion was done Hemostasis in 5, irrigation in 7, foreign body removal in 2, talcum powder insufrlation in 3, sympathectomy 3 as done. Thoracoscopic biopsy watt done In 12 3. For pneumothorax, operation was indicated as recurrent pneumothorax in 18, persistent air leak in 12, visible bullae In chest X-ray in 5. 4 Thoracoscopic biopsy was done in 12. They were interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in 9, miliary tuberculosis in 1, mesothelioma in 1, and organizing pneumonia in 1 .Among interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, usual interstitial pneumonia were 2 and diffuse interstitial pneumonia were 7. 5. Wo complication was found in 6) patients among 67 patients. The complication was found in 4 patients (2 persistent air leak, 2 contralateral lung atelectasis). We concluded that VATS was safe and beneficial in reducing postoperative complication and the role of thoracic surgery will increase markefdly.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.396-401
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• 1997

Tailoring thoracoplasty is employed prior to, following, or concomitant with pulmonary resection when it is anticipated that insufHclent lung tissue will remain to fill the pleural space following a pulmonary resection. This study reviewed a series of eight patients treated with tailoring thoracoplasty between 1990 and 1995. Indications were to close a persistent space In four patients and to tailor the thoracic cavity to accept diminished lung volume concomitant with a pulmonary resection in the other four patients. The primary underlying disease was lung cancer in three patients and pulmonary tuberculosis In five patients, two of whom had concomitant aspcrgilloma, two, pneumothora , and one, empyema with bronchopleural fistula. In four patients with a prior pulmonary resection, the tailoring thoracoplasty was performed within eight days after the resection surgery. There was no failure to accommodate the thoracic cavity to insufficient lung tissue, even though two patients needed a second thoracoplasty. We conclude that tailoring thoracoplasty may be performed to close anticipated persistent pleural space and to accommodate diminished lung volume with acceptable cosmetic results Early, after, or concomitant with pulmonary resection in selected patients.