• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.565-574
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• 1993

Background: Pulmonary hamartomas are benign tumors that occur in the parenchyma or in the bronchi. They present as a solitary pulmonary nodule(SPN) or as a cause of bronchial obstruction. The incidence, once minimal, is increasing in Korea. To get clinical spectrum about the tumor, we analyzed all the reported cases in Korea since 1964. Methods: We reviewed the clinical, radiological and pathological findings of 13 patients of intrapulmonary or endobronchial hamartomas in Severance Hospital and of 38 reported cases in Korea published in literatures from 1964 to 1992 retrospectively. Results: Including 17 endobronchial hamartomas, 54 cases were studied. There were 25 men and 29 women, with a mean age of 47.2 years; 45.3 years in endobronchial type and 51.3 years in parenchymal type. Pulmonary symptoms were present in 8 patients (22%) of intrapulmonary type and in all patients of endobronchial type: cough (65%), dyspnea (53%), sputum (35%), fever (29%) in order. On chest X-rays, atelectasis was seen in 10 patients (59%) in endobronchial type; but SPN was noted in 36 patients (97%) of intrapulmonary type. Calcification was present in 7 intapulmonary hamartomas (23%); but is in 2 endobronchial hamartomas (12%). The diagnostic yield was 6 out of 14(43%) in endobronchial ones; 4 out of 7(57%) in intrapulmonary ones. Fifty patients underwent operations as follows: lobectomy (28), enucleation (8), resection (8), bilobectomy (4), pneumonectomy (2). The hamartomas were 1.2 times more common in the right lung; mean transverse diameter at the time of operation was 2.3 cm in endobronchial type, 3.8 cm in intrapulmonary ones. Chondroid components were present in 11(65%) of 17 endobronehial ones but in 30(91%) of 33 intrapulmonary hamartomas. No malignant changes were seen perioperative period and up to early 1993. Conclusion: The younger age in endobronchial hamartomas, the preponderance of the female sex and the more incidence in the right lung, and the diagnostic choice of lobectomies were different from the studies of the Western countries.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.196-204
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• 2001

Background : Bronchial asthma is characterized by a reversible airway obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness, and eosinophilic airway inflammation. The bronchodilator response(BDR) after short acting beta agonist inhalation and PC20 with methacholine inhalation are frequently used for diagnosing bronchial asthma. However, the relationship between the presence of a bronchodilator response and the degree of airway hyperresponsiveness is uncertain. Therefore, the availability of a eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and a correlation ECP with a bronchodilator response and airway hyperresponsiveness was investigated. Method : A total 71 patients with a moderate to severe degree of bronchial asthma were enrolled and divided into two groups. 31 patients with a positive bronchodilator response and 38 patients with a negative bronchodilator response were evaluated. In both groups, the serum ECP, peripheral blood eosinophil counts, and total IgE level were measured and the methacholine bronchial provocation test was examined. Results : There were no differences observed in age, sex, atopy, and baseline spirometry in both groups. The peripheral eosinophil counts showed no difference in both groups, but the ECP level in group 1 (bronchodilator responder group) was higher than in group 2(non-bronchodilator responder group) ($22.4{\pm}20.7$ vs $14.2{\pm}10.4$, mean$\pm$SD). The PC20 in group 1 was significantly lower than in group 2 ($1.14{\pm}1.68$ vs $66{\pm}2.98$). There was a significant positive correlation between the BDR and ECP, and a negative correlation between the bronchial hyperresponsiveness and ECP. Conclusion : The bronchodilator response significantly correlated with the bronchial hyperresponsiveness and serum ECP in the moderate to severe asthma patients. Hence, the positive bronchodilator response is probably related with active bronchial inflammation and may be used as a valuable index in treatment, course and prognosis of bronchial asthma.