• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 1987

Pulmonary fungal infection has been investigated in patients with healed or active pulmonary tuberculosis or other lung diseases by demonstrating serum precipitating antibodies to the various fungal antigens and by isolating the related fungi from sputums or other clinical specimens. Out of 1,192 suspected patients, 405(34.0%) showed precipitin bands on immunodiffusion tests and the related fungi have been demonstrated in sputums or other specimens of 79.5% of them(327) whose specimens had been cultured. Three patients did not have precipitating antibodies to any fungal antigen, but the same fungus was repeatedly isolated from sputums of two patients for over one year of period and from open lung biopsy specimen in the other patient. Most commonly involved species in pulmonary infection were A. fumigatus(70.3%) and C. albicans (at least 23.8%), followed by A. flavus, P. boydii, A. nidulans, etc. Out of fungi isolated from individuals(459), who were apparently not infected with fungi, molds were 66.0% and the rest, yeasts. Most commonly encountered molds were aspergilli(31.7%), followed by penicilli(16.3%), Cladosporium spp.(2.8%), Fusarium spp.(2.2%), etc. C. albicans(16.6%) was of course most common yeast in human sputums and the other species were seen in few.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.135-140
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• 1995

Acute cavitating pulmonary infection with a mycetoma is sometimes occur in immunocompromised patient. Most mycetoma lesions are due to Aspergillus species, and lesion caused by Candida species is rare. So we report an experienced case that pulmonary and rib infection caused by Candida species in AML patient and complete remission with previous reports.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.292-296
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• 2004

Cryptococcus neoformans is a ubiquitous fungus found worldwide, particularly in soil contaminated by pigeon drop- pings. Pulmonary cryptococcosis occurs rarely in immunocompetent individuals. The risk of cryptococcal infection increases with the degree of immunal compromise, in human immunodeficiency virus infection especially. Pulmonary cryptococcosis is most frequently encountered as asymptomatic single or multiple pulmonary nodules found by routine chest x-ray examination. The diagnosis is most often made in these situations by the histology of the resected lesion. Acute progressive pneumonia may occur, with symptoms of cough, sputum production, fever, and weakness. The clinical picture is not pathognomonic. The yeasts are stained well by any of the special stains for fungi. Treatment is now indicated for all cases given a diagnosis of cryptococcosis, even if the diagnosis has been made by resecton of a solitary, asymptomatic pulmonary nodule.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.142-152
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• 1981

One hundred and thirteen healed pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 11 patients with other underlying diseases were studied for evidence of pulmonary fungal infection because of persisting hemoptysis or chronic cough. Rediological, mycological and serological investigations revealed that 54 out of 124 patients were evidently infected with one or more species of fungi. A. fumigatus was isolated from 4 out of 70 patients whose sera did not react with antigens from this fungus, while it was isolated from 43 out of 47 serological reactors to this fungus. Chest radiography showed a distinct fungus ball in a cyst of one patient and in a preformed cavity in the lung of 17 healed tuberculosis patients and two other patients. The latter two patients were infected with A.flavus. Two patients, who were under the long period of immunosuppressive therapy, apparently succumbed to invasive aspergillosia due to A.fumigatus. A single or dual infection with A. flavus, A. nidulans, A.nidulans var. latus, C. albicans, and P. boydii were noticed in some patients without mycetomal shadow on chest radiographs. Young mycelial extract (ME) of A.fumigatus detected antibody in 95.8 percent of the sera from patients infected with this fungus, while it was isolated from 43 out of 47 serological reactors to this fungus. Chest radiography showed a distinct fungus ball in a cyst of one patient and in a performed cavity in the lung of 17 healed tuberculosis patients and two other patients. The latter two patients were infected with A. flavus. Two patients, who were under the long period of immunosuppressive therapy, apparently succumbed to invasive aspergillosis due to A.fumigatus. A single or dual infection with A. flavus, A. nidulans, A. niduans var. latus, C. albicans, and P. boydii were noticed in some patients without mycetomal shadow on chest radiographs. Young mycelial extract (ME) of A.fumigatus detected antibody in 95.8 percent of the sera from patients infected with this fungus, while the commercial culture filtrate antigen (GL) yielded 78.7 per cent positive result. Culture filtrate antigen, however, was comparable with ME. There was no single antigen with which all the serum specimens reacted. Fractionation of ME resulted in a loss of some activity although it excluded substances that reacted with C-reactive protein in a loss of some activity although it excluded substances that reacted with C-reactive protein. Most reactive and specific precipitinogens distributed in the fraction (FB) which was precipitable at 75 percent saturation with ammonium sulfate and eluted in a second peak in order from gel-filtration and which contained mostly proteinic components. Glycoproteins or polysaccharides rich fractions (FA and ASI) were relatively less effective in detecting antibody. Demonstration of antibody in the serum from patients using a battery of fungal antigens and of etiologically related fungi from clinical specimens are very useful laboratory procedures for the diagnosis of pulmonary fungal infection which is a common complication of tuberculosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.9 s.254
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• pp.656-659
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• 2005

Pulmonary mucormycosis is very rare but has a devastating opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised hosts. The infection usually occurs in patients with hematologic malignancy, chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus, or in solid organ transplant recipients. We experienced a case of pulmonary mucormycosis associated with renal cadeveric allograft recipient who had uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. The patient was successfully treated by surgical resection with Amphotericin B therapy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.213-221
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• 1998

Pulmonary mucormycosis is an uncommon, but important opportunistic fungal infection associated with diabetes mellitus, leukemia, lymphoma and other immunocompromised states. Mucor species grow best in acidic-high glucose medium. which explaining the particular susceptibility of diabetic patient who are ketoacidic. Early consideration of this diagnosis, along with aggressive diagnostic evaluation, is critical to effective therapy and patient survival. We have experienced a case of pulmonary murcomycosis mimicking bilateral pulmonary edema on chest Xray that associated with diabetic ketoacidosis. A brief review of the literature was given.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.193-197
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• 1976

Pulmonary aspergillosis is a rather uncommon disease as a saprophytic infection, mostly producing significant repeated hemoptysis and frequently combined with chronic debilitating disease or cavitary lung disease such as pulmonary tuberculosis, lung abscess and bronchiectasis. Evaluation of the characteristic symptom, X-ray finding composing intracavitary fungus ball with crescent air patch and immunologic test constitute essential part of diagnosis. Surgical resection is a successful treatment combined with administration of anti-fungal agent to eradicate completely. We present one case of surgically removed pulmonary aspergillosis showing fungus ball, superimposed on underlying pulmonary tuberculosis, with review of the related literatures.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.6
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• pp.269-273
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• 2013

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal disease that holds a fatal opportunistic fungal infection in diabetes mellitus, hematological malignancy, and immunocompromised host. Isolated pulmonary mucormycosis is extremely rare. Optimal therapy is a combined medical-surgical approach and a management of the patient's underlying disease. Herein, we report a case-study of isolated pulmonary mucormycosis which was being presented as multiple lung nodules in a patient with no underlying risk factors. Considering that the patient had poor pulmonary functions, we treated him with only antifungal agent rather than a combined medical-surgical approach. After treatment with antifungal agent for six months, the nodules of pulmonary mucormycosis were improved with the prominent reductions of size on the computed tomography.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.123-126
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• 2009

Cryptococcosis is a subacute or chronic inflammation that's caused by infection from cryptococcus neoformans in the soil or dust that's contaminated by pigeon droppings. Pulmonary cryptococcosis occurs in immunocompromised patients, and particularly in HIV positive patients, but it rarely occurs in immunocompetent individuals. It is most often detected as asymptomatic single or multiple nodules that are found by chest X-ray examination. In these situations, the diagnosis for most cases is made by the histology of the resected lesion. We report here on a case of solitary nodular pulmonary cryptococcosis that occurred in a 32 years old female patient who underwent thyroidectomy for treating her thyroid cancer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.1022-1024
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• 2004

Pulmonary aspergillosis is the most common disease of fungal infection and has lower infectivity. Pulmonary asergillosis is classified by aspergilloma, bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, necrotic and invasive aspergillosis. Invasive aspergillosis is found in immune compromised host, immunosuppressive treatment after organ transplantation, anticancerous chemotherapy, blood abnormality, AIDS patients etc. We reported a case of invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent host, with review of literatures.