• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.932-943
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• 2000

Background : Nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis (NSIP) is most likely to be confused with usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP). Unlike patients witþ UIP, the majority of patients with NSIP have a good prognosis, with most patients improving after treatment with corticosteroids. Therefore it is clinically important to differentiate NSIP from UIP. Up to now, the only means of differentiating these two diseases was by means of surgical lung biopsy. American Thoracic Society (ATS) proposed a clinical diagnostic criteria for UIP to provide assistance to clinicians in its diagnosis without surgical lung biopsy. This study is aimed to investigate whether there were clinical and radiological differences between NSIP and UIP, and the usefulness of ATS clinical diagnostic criteria for UIP in Korea. Methods : We studied 60 patients with UIP and NSIP confirmed by surgical lung biopsy. Clinical manifestations, pulmonary function test, arterial blood gas analysis, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were evaluated and analyzed by Chi-square test or t-test. The clinical criteria for UIP proposed by ATS were applied to all patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Results : Forty-two patients with UIP and 18 with NSIP were pathologically identified. Among the 18 patients with NSIP (M : F=1 : 17), the mean age was 55.2$\pm$8.4 (44~73) yr. Among the 42 patients with UIP (M : F=33 : 9), the mean age was 59.5$\pm$7.1 (45~74) yr (p=0.046). Fever was more frequent in NSIP (39%) (p=0.034), but clubbing was frequently observed in UIP (33%) (p=0.023). BAL lymphocytosis was more frequent (23%) (p=0.0001) and CD4/CD8 ratio was lower in NSIP (p=0.045). On HRCT, UIP frequently showed honeycomb appearance (36 of 42 patients) though not in NSIP (p=0.0001). Six of 42 UIP patients (14.3%) met the ATS clinical criteria for IPF, and 3 of 16 NSIP patients (18.8%) met the diagnostic criteria. Conclusion : Being a relatively young female and having short duration of illness, fever, BAL lymphocytosis, low CD4/CD8 ratio with the absence of clubbing and honeycomb appearance in HRCT increase the likelihood of the illness being NSIP. The usefulness of ATS clinical diagnostic criteria for UIP may be low in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2011

Background: Open lung biopsy is used for diagnosis of diffuse infiltrative lung diseases (DILD), but it is invasive and relatively expensive procedure. Fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle lung biopsy (FCNLB) has merits of avoidance of admission and rapid diagnosis. But diagnostic accuracy and safety were not well known in the diagnosis of DILD. Methods: We included 52 patients (37 men, 15 women) having DILD on HRCT with dyspnea, except the patients who could be confidently diagnosed with clinical and HRCT findings. FCNLB was performed using 16G Ace cut needle (length 1.5 cm, diameter 2 mm) at the area of most active lesion on HRCT. Final diagnoses were made by the consensus. Results: The mean interval between the HRCT and FCNLB was 4.5 days. Most cases were performed one biopsy during 5~10 minutes. Specific diagnosis was obtained in 43 of 52 biopsies (83%). The most common diagnosis was nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (11 cases) and followed by cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (7 cases), diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and usual interstitial pneumonia (5 cases in each), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (3 cases), tuberculosis and drug induced interstitial pneumonitis (2 cases in each), the others are in one respectively. Mild complication was developed in 9 patients (8 pneumothorax, 1 hemoptysis). Most of complications were regressed without treatment except one case with chest tube insertion for pneumothorax. Conclusion: Fluoroscopy-guided 16 G cutting needle lung biopsy was an useful method for the diagnosis of DILD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 1999

Background : Open lung biopsy(OLB) has conventionally been regarded as the gold standard for the diagnosis in interstitial lung disease. With recent advances in diagnostic technique such as high resolution computed tomography(HRCT), and transbronchial lung biopsy(TBLB) which provide relatively accurate diagnosis of ILD, it is necessary to reevaluate the role of these methods in the diagnosis of ILD. Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of nineteen patients who underwent OLB at Dankook University Hospital for the diagnosis of acute and chronic ILD, between May 1995 and June 1998. By reviewing the medical records, the demographic findings, underlying conditions, HRCT and TBLB findings, OLB diagnosis, therapy after OLB, and complication of OLB were evaluated. Results: Thirteen patients(68.4%) had chronic ILD(symptom duration over 2 weeks prior to OLB), and six patients(31.6%) had acute ILD(symptom duration less than 2 weeks). Specific diagnosis were reached in 92%(12/13) of chronic ILD(5 bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia(BOOP), 2 constrictive bronchiolitis, 3 usual interstitial pneumonia, 1 hypersensitivity pneumonitis, 1 eosinophilic pneumonia), and in all patients of acute ILD(5 acute interstitial pneumonia, 1 pneumocystis carinii pneumonia). HRCT were performed in all patients and a correct first choice diagnosis rate of HRCT was 42%(5/12) in chronic ILD. In chronic ILD patients, 62%(8/13) received specific therapy(steroid therapy in 7 patients and moving in one patient), after OLB, but in acute ILD, all patients received specific therapy(steroid therapy in 5 patients and steroid and antibiotic therapy in one patient) after OLB. The in-hospital mortality after OLB was 5.3%(1/19). Conclusion: OLB is an excellent diagnostic technique with relatively low complications in patients with ILD. Therefore OLB should be considered in patients with ILD when the specific diagnosis is important for the treatment, especially in patients with acute ILD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.465-469
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• 1998

Acute respiratory failure with diffuse pulmonary infiltration was occurred in a patient with malignant lymphoma 1month after the $8^{th}$ CHOP chemotherapy. The ground glass and consolidation appearances on chest C-T in this immunodeficient patient could be presented in many clinical situations such as pneumonia by opportunistic infections (fungal, parasites, viral, and usual bacterial pathogens), anti-tumor drug's pulmonary toxicity and tumor invasion. And the other diseases of acute interstitial pneumonitis, alveolar proteinosis, BOOP, puhnonary edema and alveolar hemorrhage, which could present the same radiological findings, should included in differential diagnosis. This patient was diagnosed as the opportunistic pneumonia by Pneumocystis carinii and probably Cytomegalovirus through bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy