• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.574-577
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• 2007

Primary malignant neoplasm of the pericardium is very rare, Neoplastic involvement of the pericardium may result in rapidly developing hemorrhagic effusion. A 30-year-old male who occasionally suffered from chest tightness was referred to our hospital under the diagnosis of unstable angina. He presented with acute chest pain and severe dyspnea that had developed one day previously. The diagnostic investigations such as echocardiography, chest CT and magnetic resonance image suggested cardiac tamponade that was caused by rupture of the pericardial teratoma. An operation to remove the tumor and effusion was performed. The pericardial mass was completely excised, and the result of the frozen biopsy favored malignancy. The final pathologic report was malignant fibrosarcoma of the pericardium and no malignant cells were found on the cytology of the pericardial effusion. The patient had a smooth postoperative course and was referred to another hospital for additional radiation therapy. We report here on this case of cardiac tamponade that was caused by primary pericardial fibrosarcoma, and this required urgent diagnosis and surgical management.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.34-39
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• 2007

Background: The mediastinum is the anatomic space which is restricted and the clinical aspect varies according to location, size and type of neoplasm. Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to mediastinal neoplasms have changed over and over. We presented our recent therapeutic experiences with these neoplasms. The object and method: The 36 patients were treated in operation from 2000 until 2006. The male patients were 20 and the female patients were 16. Age of the patients ranged from 5 to 70, and the median age was $46.4{\pm}21.9$. The child patients were two. Result: The most prevalent anatomic distribution of the neoplasm was anterosuperior mediastinum. The most common neoplasm was thymoma, followed by thymic cyst, teratoma, ganglioneuroma. The complete excison of neoplasm was accomplished in 96% of patient group except thymoma patient group. One patient underwent total thymectomy, and the other 12 patients underwent extended thymectomy from 13 thymoma patient group. In the malignant neoplasm, 7 patients were received additional treatment after operation. There was short-term death of 1 person and late death of 1 person. Conclusion: Our results except clinical manifestation are compared favorably with other reports. Surgery is the management of choice for patients with mediastinal neoplasm and early curative resection is considered to optimize clinical outcome for patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.779-784
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• 1994

Vidio-assisted thoracic surgery[VATS] has recently evolved as an alternative to thoracotomy for several thoracic disorders,and the role of thoracoscopy has expanded with advances in surgical techniques and instruments. From May 1993 to May 1994, 13 patients with mediastinal mass underwent VATS for diagnosis and treatment at Gil General Hospital. There were four males and nine females, and their ages raged from 5 years to 66 years with average 38.8 years. Among 13 patients, 3 were operated for tissue diagnosis,9 for treatment,and 1 for diagnosis and treatment. Pathologic diagnoses were as follows; 5 benign neurogenic tumors, 2 thymoma, 2 sarcoidosis, 1 teratoma, 1 peripheral neuroepithelioma, 1 tbc lymphadenitis, and 1 pericardial cyst. The mean time of operation was 111.7 $\pm$ 30.7 minutes[60-160], mean duration of chest tube drainage was 2.9 $\pm$1.9days[1-9], mean hospital stay was 6.2 $\pm$2.6 days[4-13]. There was no patient needed blood transfusion or conversion to open thoracotomy. Accurate diagnosis was possible in all patients operated for diagnosis and /or treatment.[4/4,100%] Two complications occurred in two patients: 1 transient Horner,s syndrome,1 anhydrosis of left arm. Compared with those of conventional thoracotomy done for mediastinal mass during previous 2 years[May 1991 - April 1993], operative results of VATS were better in all aspects. For mediastinal mass, we concluded that VATS can be done with less morbidity,less complication,less blood loss,shorter operation time and hospital stay,and not more expensive in cost than conventional thoracotomy. Noticeably, we think that VATS is the operation of choice for the diagnosis and palliation of malignant mediastinal mass.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.763-768
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• 1996

This report is an analysis of 43 cases of primary mediastinal tumors and cysts which were treated in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Tae Jeon Eul li General Hospital from January, 1986 to April, 1995. There were 19 males and 24 females, and their ages ranged from 4 years to 68 years, with mean age of 31.3 years. The most common symptoms were dyspnea 48.8%, chest disconyort 39.5%, cough )4.9%, and chest pain 23.3%, and the most frequently encountered location of tumor was anterior mediastinum followed by posterior, and middle mediastinum. From the pathologic viewpoint, teratoma was the most frequent type followed by neurogenic tumors, cysts, thymoma, and Iymphoma. The most useful diagnostic method was plain X-ray examination of the chest, and final diagnosis could usually be made only after an operation. All of benign tumors were completely removed and malignant tumors were treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy after operation There were 7 (16.3 %) cases of postoperative complications, and there was no postoperative mortality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.504-510
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• 1992

Overall 25,095 cases of general thoracic surgery were analysed, which were performed by 48 institutes in Korea during recent 6 years[242 hospital-years]. The proportions of tumorous disease and infectious disease to be operated were 6,864 cases[27.4%] and 6,775 cases [27.0%], The most common organ involved for operation was lung-bronchus 16,542 cases [69.5%], and remainders were pleura 2,500 [10.0%], esophagus 2,433[9.7%], mediastinum 1,902[7.6%], chest wall 1,297 [5.2%], and diaphragm 421 [1.7%] in order. Among 6,864 cases of tumorous diseases, the most common causes for operation were lung-bronchus tumor 3132 cases [45.6%] and most of them were lung cancer 2,731 cases [88.7%]. In the 2,019 cases of primary lung cancer with known cell type, squamous cell carcinoma 1,296 cases [64.2%] and adenocarcinoma 460 cases [22.8%] were the most. The common types in the 1,207 cases of mediastinal tumor with known cell type were neurogenic tumor 348 cases [28.8%], thymoma 311 [25.8%], and teratoma 252[20.9%]. The annual cases of operation for tumorous disease including malignant tumor were increased steadily. Operation for infectious lung diseases [including bronchiectasis and tuberculosis] were about twice common than infectious pleural disease [i.e. empyema], and operations for tuberculous disease occupied about half cases of infectious lung disease. In 11,456 cases of other disease entities, excluding tumorous and infectious disease, there were bullous lung disease 9,074 cases[79.2%], benign esophageal disease 484[4.2%], myasthenia gravis 356[3.1%], chest wall deformity 483[4.2%], and diaphragmatic lesion 421[3. 7%] in order. We propose that above results for inquiry can be used as the basic data of general thoracic surgery in Korea.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.79-90
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• 1989

Computerized Tomography is now well established and important noninvasive method of diagnosting mediastinal mass lesions because of its superior imaging of their size, location and internal composition. Authors ana lysed and present CT findings of 30 surgically proven mediastinal tumors and cysts that were studied and treated at the Yeungnam University Hospital during recent 6 years. The most common tumor was thymona(9 cases), and teratoma(6 cases), lymphoma(6 cases), bronchogenic cyst(4 cases), neurogenic tumor (4 cases), pericardial cyst(1 case) were next in order of frequency. There were 5 cases of thymoma showing homogenous solid density mass, 2 cases were malignant thymoma and myasthenia gravis was present in 2 cases. A case of thymolipoma and a case of thymic carcinoma were included. All teratomas were cystic masses but pathognomic fat, and calcified density were seen only in 4 cases. 5 cases were located in anterior mediastinum and 1 case was in posterior mediastinum. Lymphoma(3 Hodgkin's and 3 non-Hodgkin's) appeared as irregular lobulated mass in anterior mediastinum. Neurogenic tumor(2 ganglioneuroma and 2 neurilemmoma) appeared as homogenous density mass located in posterior mediastinum. Among the 4 bronchogenic cysts, 2 were located in retrotracheal area, 1 was located in subcarinal and 1 was in parathoracic area. One case of pericardial cyst was oval shaped cystic mass located in left pericardiac border.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 1998

Recently, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal lesions has been considered a new effective therapeutic method. From March, 1992 to April, 1997, 33 cases of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal lesions were performed. Gender distribution was 16 males and 17 females. Average age was 42 years old(ranged from 14 to 69). The locations of lesions were anterior mediastinum in 14 cases, middle mediastinum in 5 cases, posterior mediastinum in 11 cases, and superior mediastinum in 3 cases. These included 9 neurilemmomas, 5 benign cystic teratoma, 4 pericardial cysts, 2 ganglioneuroma, 2 thymus, 2 thymic cyst, 1 thymoma, 2 esophageal leiomyomas, 1 dermoid cyst, 1 lipoma, 1 malignant lymphoma, 1 bronchogenic cyst, 1 pericardial effusion, and 1 Boerhaave's disease with empyema. Working window was needed in 6 cases. We converted to open thoracotomy in 6 cases. Reasons of convertion to open thoracotomy were large sized mass(1), severe adhesion(3), and difficult location to approach(2). The average operation time was 116min($\pm$56 min). The average chest tube drainage time was 4.7days. The average hospital stay was 8.7 days. Operative complications were atelectasis(2), empyema with mediastinitis(1), recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy(1), and plenic nerve palsy(1). In conclusion, VATS for mediastinal lesions were performed with shorter operation time and hospital stay, and lesser complications and pain than those of conventional thoracotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.780-785
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• 1997

Mediastinal tumor had been fascinated by its location on heart, great vessels, esophagus, and nervous tissue, its convenience of surgical treatment and superiority of its operative result. Between January 1989 and June 1995, eighty-seven patients with mediastinal tumor which were treated surgically in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, School of Medicine, University of Ulsan. To provide the appropriate surgical management of mediastinal tumor, the demographic data, diagnostic evaluation, clinical presentation, location, size, operative finding and histopathologic distribution were reviewed and we analyzed relativity between invasiveness in chest computed tomographic finding or invasiveness on operative finding and histopathologic invasiveness. The anterosuperior mediastinum was the most commonly involved site of a mediastinal tumor(57%), followed by the posterior mediastinum(35%) and middle mediastinum(8%). The most frequently encountered tumors were thymic neoplasia(31%), followed by primary cyst(22%), neurogenic tumor(22%) and teratoma(10%) in decreasing order of frequency. Histopathologically invasive tumors were present in 17 patients(20%) and its site included anterosuperior mediastinum(16%) and posterior mediastinum(4%). All patients in this study underwent chest CT. In chest CT's finding, 15 patients(17%) showed invasiveness. A total excision of the tumor was performed 80 patients(92%), subtotal excision 6 patients(7%) and biopsy only 1 patient(2%). In operative finding, 14 patients(16%) were suspected invasiveness. The mean size of the tumor was 6.0$\pm$ 3.2cm. In anterosuperior mediastinum, the mean size was 6.2$\pm$3.1cm, in middle mediastinum, it was 3.9$\pm$1.1cm, in posterior mediastinum, it was 5.8$\pm$2.6cm. In malignant tumors, the mean size was 7.3$\pm$4.6cm, in benign tumor, it was 5.5$\pm$2.6cm(P<0.05). Relativity between histopathological invasiveness(17 patients) and invasiveness in chest CT's finding(15 patients) included sensitivity 35%, specificity 87% and predictability 35%, relativity between histopathological invasiveness(17 patients) and invasiveness on operative finding included sensitivity 52%, specificity 93% and predictability 64%. In conclusion, since it was proved that the compatibility of preoperative chest CT findings or operative findings and histopathological invasiveness is quite low, it is considered that wide excision of the mediastinal tumor except cystic lesion including adjacent tissues would yield better postoperative results.