• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.118-124
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• 2017

Brain abscess commonly occurs secondary to an adjacent infection (mostly in the middle ear or paranasal sinuses) or due to hematogenous spread from a distant infection or trauma. Pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are abnormal direct communications between the pulmonary artery and vein. We present two cases of brain abscess associated with asymptomatic pulmonary AVF. A 65-year-old woman was admitted with a headache and cognitive impairment that aggravated 10 days prior. An magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a brain abscess with severe edema in the right frontal lobe. We performed a craniotomy and abscess removal. Bacteriological culture proved negative. Her chest computed tomography (CT) showed multiple AVFs. Therapeutic embolization of multiple pulmonary AVFs was performed and antibiotics were administered for 8 weeks. A 45-year-old woman presented with a 7-day history of progressive left hemiparesis. She had no remarkable past medical history or family history. On admission, blood examination showed a white blood cell count of 6290 cells/uL and a high sensitive C-reactive protein of 2.62 mg/L. CT and MR imaging with MR spectroscopy revealed an enhancing lesion involving the right motor and sensory cortex with marked perilesional edema that suggested a brain abscess. A chest CT revealed a pulmonary AVF in the right upper lung. The pulmonary AVF was obliterated with embolization. There needs to consider pulmonary AVF as an etiology of cerebral abscess when routine investigations fail to detect a source.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.704-707
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• 1995

The use of the patient`s pulmonary valve for replacement of the patient`s diseased aortic valve was introduced and developed by Mr. Donald Ross. The long term benefits of having a normal, fully viable, trileaflet semilunar valve in aortic position was demonstrated. A 38 year old male had histories of failures of previously implanted aortic prosthetic valves twice and evidence of progressive heart failure. At operation, aortic root abscess was found; the abscess extension to adjacent structures and partial valve dehiscence had occurred. The patient underwent replacement of the aortic root with autologous pulmonary valve, autologous pericardial patch repair of left ventricuar outflow tract and recontruction of the right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary artery with prosthetic valved conduit. Postoperatively, the patient recovered well. Postoperative doppler echocardiography demonstrated minimal central regurgitation in new aortic valve. Aortic root replacement with pulmonary autograft in a patient of recurrent aortic root abscess and false aneurysm of left ventricuar outflow tract was experienced and reported with follow up echocardiography.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.305-307
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• 2011

We describe here the first case of a concurrent brain abscess caused by Norcardia spp. and semi-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient. After one year of appropriate antimicrobial therapy and surgical drainage of the brain abscess, the nocardia brain abscess and pulmonary aspergillosis have resolved.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 1969

Prior to availability of antibiotics, lung abscess has been recognized as one of the most serious pulmonary disease, and despite of diminished morbidity and mortality rate with the advent of antibiotics and development of better technique in the fields of surgery on pulmonary disease it continues to be a virulent form of pulmonary supuration. It is the purpose of this paper to present a clinical review of 115 lung abscess treated by surgically at "The National Medical Center" during past 9 years. 1. The most common age of occurrence is between the age of 30 and 50, and 105 cases were male and 31 cases occurred in female. 2. Numerous etiological factors may play a role in the formation of a pulmonary abscess; aspiration in 36 patients of which 2 patients had diabetes, 54 patients had preceding URI or pneumonia, and 5 patients followed liver abscess, one of which in hematogenous route. In 20 patients, no predisposing factor could be determined- 3. Clubbing digits were presented in 26 of 1315 patients suggesting chronicity of the disease, and gastric ulcer were combined in 3 of 136 patints. 4. Apparently the onset was insidious, and the progress was masked by indiscriminate administration of antibiotics for URI and TB remedies under impression of pul. tbc. Previous TB treatments were done in 56.%[76 cases] for one week to two years and administration of antibiotics in 51 cases. 5. 89 cases were on tbe right and 2t5 cascs were on the left side. 51 cases of pneumonectomy and 8 of open drainage, of which 4 of Monaldi procedure, were made and operative mortality rate was 5.2%. Numerous complications such as 8 of empyema, 4 of each bleeding and atelectasis, 2 of BPF, 1 of esophageal fistula and one of pneumothorax which were responded well to prolonged treatment with good results, were obtained. 6. The incidence of Klebsiella and Pseudomonas were increased recently. In these results, we submit the surgery should be performed if the conservative therapy had failed. The resection was most favorable operation for pulmonary abscess though drainage procedure may be of value in certain patients with grave systemic menifestations. In chronic long standing abscess, more complications and high mortality rate were assumable although the prognosis has been improved with the advent of antibiotics, the development of improved surgical technique and complete preoperative care.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.146-149
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• 2005

Most primary spinal abscesses, irrespective of pathogens and anatomical locations, have better prognosis than that of secondary abscesses with spondylitis. We report a 68-year-old man, previously undertaken pulmonary resection due to tuberculosis, presented with paraparesis. Imaging studies showed primary intraspinal abscesses at T-1 and T-3 vertebral levels, semi-invasive pulmonary Aspergillosis and inflammation of the posterior mediastinum. Operative procedure and histopathological examination revealed interdural Aspergillus abscess. Despite chemotherapy, he deteriorated progressively, and spondylitis developed at corresponding vertebrae. He eventually died 6 weeks postoperatively due to pulmonary complication. The authors intended to inform that such an extradural inflammatory lesion of Aspergillus abscess should be treated carefully.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.244-250
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• 2006

Splenic abscess is a rare clinical condition with a reported incidence of 0.14 % to 0.70 % in various autopsy series. Primary tuberculosis of the spleen as a cause of splenic abscess is even rarer, especially in the antitubercular era. Infants and children have a higher predisposition to extra-pulmonary tuberculosis than adults and tend to develop severe extra-pulmonary disease such as miliary tuberculosis and meningitis. The diagnosis of tuberculosis in infants and children can be difficult because of nonspecific symptoms and clinical findings. Computed tomography establishes the diagnosis of splenic abscess and demonstrates the number and location of abscesses. Splenectomy is the standard of care in most clinical setting. We present a 4-year-old girl who had multiple tuberculosis splenic abscesses and was treated successfully with splenectomy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.38-41
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• 2015

Pyogenic liver abscess with metastatic septic complications is a rare and serious infectious disease if not treated properly. Pyogenic liver abscesses are caused by bacterial, fungal, or parasitic organisms. Escherichia coli used to be the predominant causative agent, but Klebsiella pneumoniae emerged as a major cause in the 1990s. Liver abscesses are caused by hepatic invasion via many routes, such as, the biliary tree, portal vein, hepatic artery, direct extension, or penetrating trauma. Furthermore, diabetes mellitus and malignant conditions are established important risk factors of K. pneumoniae liver abscesses and of septic metastasis, and several recent studies have asserted that K. pneumoniae liver abscess might be a presentation of occult or silent colon cancer. We report a case of K. pneumoniae liver abscess, metastatic septic pulmonary embolism, and endophthalmitis associated with diabetes and advanced gastric cancer.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.303-306
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• 2005

In cases of brain or other organ abscess, the causative etiology or disease are not always definable. We report a case of brain, renal, and possibly lung abscesses in a middle aged woman. After close, stepwise surveillance of possible etiologic factors, we covered out a small solitary pulmonary arteriovenous fistula without any pulmonary symptoms and successfully occluded the fistula via endovascular approach. The congenital pulmonary arteriovenous fistula should be bear in mind as a cause of repeated, multiple systemic infective source spray and be pursued despite of negative initial baseline studies.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.952-955
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• 2001

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations(PAVM) are uncommon diseases. Brain abscesse could be a rare and devastating comlplication of PAVM. Central nervous complaints may be the first manifestations of PAVM. We report a case of PAVM presented by brain abscess which was treated by craniotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.171-174
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• 1973

A case of pulmonary aspergillosis, strongly suspected before operation and confirmed after surgical intervention, was reviewed with related literatures. It has become to be a well recognized fact that pulmonary mycosis generally results from sapro-phytic colonization of previous lung cavities usually due to pulmonary tbc, lung abscess, cyst of bronchiectasis. Recently, the author experienced one case of pulmonary aspergillosis which had been diagnosed and treated as tuberculosis for 6 years. Sputum culture, immunologic study and X-ray findings constitute essential part of diagnosis. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice combined with systemic administration of anti-fungal agents to eradicate the disease completely.