The differentiation between lung abscess and empyema can be difficult, but has important therapeuticconsequences. Thoracostomy tube drainage is essential therapy for an empyema, whereas prolonged antibiotic therapyand postural drainage often suffice for a lung abscess. Conventional radiographic findings are usually relied onto help make correct indfferentiation between empyema and lung abscess, but overlying lung disease or unfavorablelocation of lesion often results in ambiguous findings. Although ultrasound has proved useful in differentiatingempyema from lung abscess, CT is best accurate diagnostic method. Authors reviewed chest CT of 50 cases(41empyemas, 9 lung abscesses)which were diagnosed by suegery or clinical background during the period from May 1980to June 1985 at Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University. The results were as follows: 1) Age and sexdistribution a) Empyema: The incidence was most common in the 6th and 7th decades. Male to female ratio was 3:1.b) Lung abscess: The incidence was most common in the 5th, 6th and 7th decades. Male to female ratio was 2:1. 2)Wall characteristics(empyema 32 cases, lung abscess 9 cases): The 9 cases of 41 empyemas had not defined theirwalls. a) Empyema had at least a part of their wall that was thin (81%), uniform width(84%), and smooth on bothmargins (more than 96%). b) The wall of lung abscess was thick (89%), and irregular margins(100%). 3) Separationof uniformly thickened visceral pleura from parietal pleura("split pleura" sign) was seen only in 68% of allempyemas. 4) Adjacent lung compression was seen only in 88% of all empyemas. 5) Chest wall angle: In 78% of allempyemas had obtuse or mixed angles, wherease in 85% of all lung abscesses had acute angle. 6) Shape oflesion:Empyema had variant shapes from round to crescent, however all lung abscesses had round or ovoid shape. 7)Size of lesion: In 85% of all empyemas had medium(41%) or large (44%) size, but the lung abscess had onlysmall(33%) or medium (67%) size. 8) Air in lesion was seen in 41% empyemas and in 89% lung abscesses. 9) Adjacentlung consolidation showed in 34% empyemas and in all lung abscesses. 10) Free pleural fluid was seen in 12%empyemas and in 89% lung abscesses. 11)Septated lesions were seen in 32% empyemas and in 56% lung abscesses. 12)Multiple lesions were seen in 44% empyemas and in 55% lung abscesses. 13) Mediastinal shifting was seen in 49%enpyemas and in 44% lung abscesses, but which all lung abscesses were coexisted with empyemas. 14) Pleuralcalcification was seen only in 5 cases(12%) of all empyemas. 15) Location of leison: Most(93%) of empyemas werelocated in posterolateral portion of hemithorax, and most (78%) of lung abscesses involved in right lower lobe.
Clothing ; Drainage ; Drainage, Postural ; Empyema ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung Abscess ; Lung Diseases ; Lung ; Male ; Methods ; Pleura ; Rabeprazole ; Thoracic Wall ; Thoracostomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Child* ; Chondromatosis, Synovial* ; Female* ; Humans

The ankle is an important joint supporting the entire musculoskeletal system during standing and walking. Current opinion has emphasized necessity of anatomical reduction and rigid internal fixation for a displaced or unstable fracture of the ankle. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation of the adequate surgical operative methods and postoperative care with prognosis. The authors analysed 104 cases of ankle fracture, treated operatively in Department of Orthopedic Surgery of Dae-Han Hospital from January 1991 to December 1994, followed up more than one year. The results were as follows: 1. According to the classification of Lauge-Hansen and Danis-Weber, the most common type was supination-external rotation and type B, respectively. 2. The most common cause of injury was slip down and the others were traffic accident, fall down and direct trauma. 3. According to the criteria of Meyer, the result of treatment was good or excellent in 94 cases (90.4%) radiologically and in 91 cases (87.5%) clinically. 4. The complications were 5 cases of traumatic arthritis, 3 cases of malunion, 2 cases of non-union and 1 case of infection. 5. The early ROM exercise after accurate reduction and rigid internal fixation was very important in treatment of fracture of the ankle.
Accidents, Traffic ; Ankle Fractures ; Ankle* ; Arthritis ; Classification ; Joints ; Musculoskeletal System ; Orthopedics ; Postoperative Care ; Prognosis ; Walking

Activation of T cells for an immune response requires the participation of antigen presenting cells that express class II major histocompatibility complex gene products on their surface. As far as we know, there is no study on the agerelated changes of ED2 immunoreactive macrophages and MHC class II immunoreactive dendritic cells in the normal rat brain. The aim of the present study is to investigate the age-related changes of dendritic cells and macrophages in rat brain. The distribution and morphology of the macrophages and dendritic cells in the rat brain were studied from the 1 month-, 12 month- and 24 month-old rats by means of immunohistochemical methods using anti-rat MHC class II and anti-rat ED2 monoclonal antibodies. Antigen presenting cells were observed in choroid plexuses and white matter of the rat brain. The numbers of antigen presenting cells gradually increased with age. At all age stages and regions of the rat brain, the numbers of ED2 immunoreactive macrophages was higher than that of MHC class II immunoreactive dendritic cells. According as age increases, shapes of antigen presenting cells became more complex and aggregated together. In conclusion, the above results suggest that the increases of the number and the changes of the morphology in two kinds of the antigen-presenting cells, MHC class II-immunoreactive dendritic cells and ED2-immunoreactive macrophages, with age may influence on effects of cell-mediated immune responses.
Aging ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antigen-Presenting Cells* ; Brain* ; Child, Preschool ; Choroid Plexus ; Dendritic Cells ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Major Histocompatibility Complex ; Rats* ; T-Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: Postprimary pulmonary tuberculosis is located mainly in upper lobes. The tuberculous lesion involving the lower lobes usually arises from the upper lobe cavity through endobronchial spread. When tuberculosis is confined to the lower lung field, it often masquerades as pneumonia, lung cancer, bronchiectasis, or lung ahscess. Thus the correct diagnosis may be sometimes delayed for a long time. METHODS: We carried out, retrospectively, a clinical study on 50 patients confirmed with lower lung field tuberculosis who visited the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Hanyang University Hospital from January 1992 to December 1994. The following results were obtained. RESULTS: Lower lung field tuberculosis without concomitant upper lobe disease occurred in fifty patients representing 6.9% of the total admission with active pulmonary tuberculosis over a period of 3 years. It occurred most frequently in the third decade but age distribution was relatively even. The mean age was 43 years old. Female was more frequently affected than male (male to female ratio 1:1.9). The most common symptom was cough(68%), followed by sputum(52%), fever(38%), and chest discomfort(30%). On chest X-ray of the S0patients, consolidation was the most common finding in 52%, followed by solitary nodule(22%), collapse(16%), cavitary lesion(l0%), in decreasing order. The disease confined to the right side in 25 cases, left side 20 cases, and both sides 5 cases. Endobronchial tuberculosis (1) Endobronchial involvement was proved by bronchoscopic examination in 20 of S0patients. (2) Mean age was 44years old and female was more affected than man (male to female ratio 1 : 3). Sputum AFB stain and Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture were positive only in 50% of cases unlikely upper lobe tuberculosis, additional diagnostic methods were needed. In our study, bronchoscopic examination and percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy increased diagnostic yield by 18% and 32%, respectively. The most common associated condition was diabetes mellitus(18%) and others were anemia, anorexia nervosa, stomach cancer, and systemic steroid usage. CONCLUSION: When we find a lower lung field lesion, we should suspect tuberculosis if the patient has diabetes mellitus, anemia, systemic steroid usage, malignancy or other immune suppressed states. Because diagnostic yield of sputum AFB smear & Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture was low, additional diagnostic methods such as bronchoscopy and fine needle aspiration biopsy were needed.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Anemia ; Anorexia Nervosa ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Bronchiectasis ; Bronchoscopy ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Male ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Medicine ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome* ; Male

No abstract available.
Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome* ; Male

Many organic and nonorganic agents can cause chemical pneumonitis. Chemical pneumonitis induced by inhalation of acetic acid is a rare clinical condition. As acetic acid is a water soluble agent, it causes chemical irritation to respiratory tract and causes variable symptoms. We experienced a case of acute lung injury due to inhalation of acetic acid fume. A 56-year-old male patient was admitted due to dyspnea with vomiting for one day. After he inhaled acetic acid fume in occupational situation, he had chest tightness, chilling sense, and productive cough. Our case was good response to oxygen inhalation, antibiotics, and systemic steroids.
Acetic Acid* ; Acute Lung Injury ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Pneumonia* ; Respiratory System ; Steroids ; Thorax ; Vomiting ; Water

BACKGROUND: The incidence of mycoplasmal pneumonia is predominantly at childhood and early adulthood, but in adults, its incidence is low and its symptoms and physical findings are nonspecific. The definite diagnosis of M. pneumoniae pneumonia can be made by sputum culture, but requires several weeks for positive results, and the early diagnosis must initially be based on the serologic tests and appropriate clinical findings. Thus, we evaluated the clinical aspects of M. pneumoniae pneumonia in the adults patients. METHOD: Among the admitted patients due to pneumonia, the definite diagnosis is anti-M. pneumoniae antibody titer of > 1:40 and a single cold agglutinin titer of > 1:64. The presumptive diagnosis is anti-M. pneumoniae antibody titer of > 1:40 or a single cold agglutinin titer of > 1:64 and the clinical characteristics or chest X-ray findings are compatible with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. We studied the age and sex distribution, seasonal distribution, clinical symptoms, physical findings, serologic test, chest X-ray findings, treatment and its progression. RESULTS: 1) The age distribution was even and the ratio of male to female was 1:1. 2) The monthly distribution was most common in January(16.7%) and the seasonal distribution in autumn and winter(autumn: 30%, winter: 33.3%). 3) The cold agglutinin titers were higher than 1:64 in 12 cases(40%), and reached the peak level around 2 weeks from onset and antimycoplasma antibody titers were higher than 1:160 in 5 cases(16.7%). 4) On the chest X-ray, pulmonary infiltration was noted in 28 cases(93.3%) among 30 cases and right lower lobe involvement was the most common(33.3%) and both lower lobe involvement was noted in 7 cases(23.3%). 5) The mean treatment duration was most common(33.3%) in 1 week to 2 weeks after admission and 26 cases(86.7%) were improved within 4 weeks. 6) On admission, there was fever(> or =38.9degreesC) in 17 cases(56.7%), and the fever subsided in 12 cases(70%) within 3 days after treatment using erythromycin. CONCLUSION: The mycoplasmal pneumonia in adults shows milder clinical patterns than that in childhood and can be completely recovered without complication by early diagnosis and treatment.
Adult* ; Age Distribution ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Erythromycin ; Female ; Fever ; Hospital Distribution Systems ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Pneumonia* ; Seasons ; Serologic Tests ; Sex Distribution ; Sputum ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Lung*