• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.655-660
• /
• 1997

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare vascular tumor arising from pericytes. The tumor usually develops in the skin or subcutaneous tissue, particularly in the extremities. A pulmonary origin of hemangiopericytoma is known to be quite rare. It has the potential to become a highly malignant lesion, so wide excision is the treatment of choice. We present a case of primary malignant hemangiopericytoma of the lung and discuss the clinical symptoms, diagnosis, therapy and prognosis within the context of a brief review.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.788-793
• /
• 1989

We have observed 501 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax from January 1981 to June 1989 at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital. Of these, 57 patients have undergone thoracotomy to treat the pneumothorax after closed thoracostomy. These 57 patients were based on this retrospective clinical analysis, and the results were as follows: The ratio of male to female was 4.2:1 in male predominance and the old aged patients, over 50 years old, occupied 47.3% of all patients. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax was 19 cases and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax was 38 cases. The underlying pathology in secondary spontaneous pneumothorax was tuberculosis emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 35 cases. The indications of thoracotomy were persistent air leakage in 23 cases recurrent pneumothorax in 21 cases, inadequate expansion in 13 cases. Rupture of bullae or blebs were most frequent operative and pathologic findings in persistent air leakage group and recurrent pneumothorax group. In inadequate expansion group, predominant finding was destructive lung lesion. Bullectomy and/or bullae ligation was most effective procedures in 36 cases [63%] for operative management of spontaneous pneumothorax. Duration of preoperative and postoperative chest tube indwelling day was 13.35 days and 8.05 days in persistent pneumothorax group, 8.92 days and 7.77 days in recurrent pneumothorax group, 13.23 days and 10.21 days in inadequate expansion group.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.40 no.6 s.275
• /
• pp.459-462
• /
• 2007

Pericardial cysts are uncommon benign congenital mediastinal lesions and they are most often found in either cardiophrenic angle. We present here one case of atypically located pericardial cyst that was located in the sub-pulmonary region. The clinicians should take into consideration this entity in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesion of the mediastinum. The diagnostic difficulties that are encountered and the utility of video-assisted thoracoscopy are described.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.320-324
• /
• 2014

A 37-year-old woman was referred to our institution for further management of a mass lesion located in the thoracic cavity. The mass had grown by more than 10 cm over the course of a year and was initially considered to be a scar from previous pulmonary tuberculosis at another hospital. The patient had complained of left-sided flank pain for a year and experienced dyspnea for one month. Chest radiography and chest computed tomography revealed an irregular-shaped mass in the left mid to lower pleural cavity. The mass was widely excised through left thoracotomy. Pathologic examination of the biopsy specimen revealed a malignant spindle cell tumor, which consisted of components of osteosarcoma, pleomorphic sarcoma, and leiomyosarcoma. The patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and has been doing well without any evidence of recurrence for 14 months.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.245-249
• /
• 1999

Childhood intestinal tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose for its protean clinical manifestations, especially in cases without pulmonary involvement. Differential diagnosis with Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease and other malignancy is also important. Surgery has often been required for pathologic confirmation or therapy. Colonoscopy may be performed safely under consciousness sedation in children for bacteriologic and histopathologic confirmation of the biopsy specimen in addition to gross appearance of the lesion. We have experienced a case of intestinal tuberculosis presenting with chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss and anemia in a 9 year old girl who was diagnosed by a colonoscopic examination and culture of the biopsy specimen from the ascending colon. The patient was managed with antituberculous drugs and recovered uneventfully.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.191-195
• /
• 1990

A case of sporotrichosis misdiagnosed as lupus vulgaris was presented. A 56-year-old woman had bean to pea sized, nontender pustules and a hypertrophic-sear-like nodule on the right thigh. She denied any trauma before the lesions developed. Histopathologic findings from the lesion showed tuberculosis-like granulomatous changes. And she was diagnosed as lupus vuagaris. She also had pulmonary tuberculosis and had been treated with antituberculous drugs for 1 year. But skin lesions was not cleared. We suspected the lesions as one of deep mycoses and could confirm sporotrichosis by mycologic studies. They showed characteristic gross colonies and microscopic findings of Sporothrix schenckii.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.311-316
• /
• 1999

Background: The drug-resistant tuberculosis has recently decreased in Korea, but it is still one of the major obstacles in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Unfortunately there are no reliable ways to figure out the drug sensitivity pattern of the M. tuberculosis in the starting point of treatment. At least several months which is critical for the success of treatment have to be passed away before getting the report of drug-sensitivity test. The aim of this study was to find out the clinical and radiological parameters that make it possible to predict the drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis and to make a correct decision on the antituberculosis drug regimens. Method: We studied 253 pulmonary TB patients with sputum and/or bronchial washing fluid culture-positive diagnosed at the Chung-Ang University Young-San Hospital in the period of 1989-1994. The differences in the clinical and raiological variables between the drug-sensitive and the drug-resistant tuberculosis patients were evaluated. Results: In 66 out of 253 patients(26.1%), drug resistant tuberculosis to at least one antituberculosis drug were found. Patients with retreatment showed higher resistance rate than those with initial treatment(30/69, 43.5% vs 36/184, 19.5%, p<0.01). Patients with cavitary TB showed higher resistance rate than those with non-cavitary TB(24/54, 44.4% vs 42/199, 21.1%, p<0.05). Among patients with initial treatment, those with far-advanced TB showed a higher drug resistance rate than those with minimal lesion(9/23, 36.9% vs 10/82, 12.5%, p<0.05). Patients with culture positive only in the bronchial washing fluid showed lower resistance rate than those with sputum culture positive(7/63, 11.1 % vs 59/190, 31.1%, p<0.05). Conclusion: Prior treatment history for pulmonary tuberculosis, the presence of cavity & far advanced tuberculosis in the radiologic exam, sputum rather than solely bronchial washing culture positivity would be the related factors to the drug resistance. So in the patients with such characteristics, it is needed to try to find out the drug sensitivity pattern of the infecting tuberculosis organism as soon as possible.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.684-690
• /
• 2000

Background : The most common cause of treatment failure of pulmonary tuberculosis is early stoppage of treatment or irregular medication. The most important aspect of a retreatment is regular medication provided over a long period. Inadequate treatment may cause drug resistance and prolong the duration of chemotherapy. This study analyzed the risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis patients, who failed in retreatment, and to use the results as basic data in the management of intractable tuberculosis patients with improving the rate of retreatment success. Methods : We performed a retroactive study of 62 pulmonary tuberculosis patients in retreatment at National Mokpo Tuberculosis Hospital from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1995. The patients were separated into two groups: group I was retreatment failure and group II was retreatrnent success. For the analysis of risk factors in retreatment failure, we compared the difference between the two groups and tested the confidence limit about results of the results by independent t-test, ${\chi}^2$ test and Fisher's exact test. Results : The treatment failure rate of retreatment patients was 13(21%), and treatment success 49(79%). No significant difference (p>0.05)in age, sex, number of treatment, irregular rate of treatment, extent of the disease & cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray, number of resistance drugs, number of used drugs to medication, number of sensitive bactericidal drugs to medication, rate of sensitive drugs to medication and resisiance to INH & RFP had not significant difference. was found. However, the number of treatment was $2.4{\pm}0.8$ in group I and $1.6{\pm}0.9$ in group II, and had showing a significant difference(p<0.05) between the two groups. Conclusion : The risk factor of retreatment failure was more irregular previous treatment the irregularity of the previous treatment. For reducing the retreatment failure of pulmonary tuberculosis, greater efforts are needed more need to be done to prevent failure of first treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.51 no.5
• /
• pp.416-425
• /
• 2001

Background : The incidence of drug-resistant tuberculosis has recently decreased in Korea. However, it is still one of the major obstacles in treating pulmonary tuberculosis. This study was performed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics associated with drug-resistance in pulmonary tuberculosis at the tertiary referral hospital in Pusan, Korea. Methods : The medical records of 138 patients, who had been diagnosed as active pulmonary tuberculosis were retrospectively reviewed, and results of drug susceptibility from May 1997 to June 2000. The relationships among those with a history of previous tuberculosis treatment, the extent of lung involvement, the presence of cavities on the initial chest X-ray films and patterns of drug resistance were analyzed. Results : The total number of patients who had drug resistance to at least one drug was 55(39.9%). Among them 34(24.6%) had resistance to isoniazid(INH) and rifampin(RFP). There was drug resistance in 20(22%) of 91 patients without previous tuberculosis therapy, and among them 9(9.9%) were multi-drug resistant. Thirty-two(74.5%) out of 47 patients with previous therapy were drug-resistant and 25(53.2%) were multidrug resistant. For all 138 patients, resistance to INH was the most common(34.1%), followed by RFP(26.1%) and ethambutol(EMB)(14.5%). Drug resistance to INH, RFP, PZA and streptomycin(SM) were independently associated with a history of previous treatment(odds ratio; 9.43, 9.09, 8.93 and 21.6 respectively, p<0.01). The extent of lung involvement on the chest films was significantly associated with the drug resistance to INH and RFP(odds ratio; 2.12 and 2.40 respectively, p<0.01). The prevalence of drug resistance to RFP, INH and RFP was significantly more common in patients with a cavitary lesion on the chest films by multivariate analysis(odds ratio; 4.17 and 4.81 respectively, p<0.05). Conclusion : This study revealed that patients with a prior treatment history for pulmonary tuberculosis, and the presence of a cavitary lesion on chest films had a higher prevalence of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance. A very careful clinical and microbiological examination is needed for patients with such characteristics.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.1199-1213
• /
• 1998

Background : The number of immunocompromised hosts has been increasing steadily and a new pulmonary infiltrate in these patients is a potentially lethal condition which needs rapid diagnosis and treatment. In this study we sought to examine the clinical manifestations, radiologic findings, and therapeutic outcomes of pulmonary mycoses presenting as a new pulmonary infiltrate in immunocompromised hosts. Method : All cases presenting as a new pulmonary infiltrate in immunocompromised hosts and confirmed to be pulmonary mycoses by pathologic examination or by positive culture from a sterile site between October of 1996 and April of 1998 were included in the study and their chart and radiologic findings were retrospectively reviewed. Results : In all, 14 cases of pulmonary mycoses from 13 patients(male : female ratio = 8 : 5, median age 47 yr) were found. Twelve cases were diagnosed as aspergillosis while two were diagnosed as mucormycosis. Major risk factors for fungal infections were chemotherapy for hematologic malignancy(10 cases) and organ transplant recipients(4 cases). Three cases were receiving empirical amphotericin B at the time of appearance of new lung infiltrates. Cases in the hematologic malignancy group had more prominent symptoms : fever(9/10), cough(6/10), sputum(5/10), dyspnea(4/10), chest pain(5/10). Patients in the organ transplant group had minimal symptoms(p<0.05). On simple chest films, all of the cases presented as single or multiple nodules(6/14) or consolidations(8/14). High resolution computed tomograph showed peri-lesional ground glass opacities(14/14), pleural effusions(5/14), and cavitary changes(7/14). Definitive diagnostic methods were as follows : 10 cases underwent minithoracotomy, 2 underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, 1 underwent percutaneous needle aspiration and 1 case was diagnosed by culture of abscess fluid. All cases received treatment with amphotericin B with 1 case each being treated with liposomal amphotericin B and itraconazole due to renal toxicity. Lung lesion improved in 12 of 14 patient but 4 patients died before completing therapy. Conclusion : When a new lung infiltrate develops presenting either as a nodule or consolidation in a neutropenic patient with hematologic malignancy or in a transplant recipient, you should always consider pulmonary mycoses as one of the differential diagnosis. By performing aggressive work up and early treatment, we may improve prognosis of these patients.