We report here on two cases of a 48-year old woman and a 46-year-old man who both presented with broncholithiasis and obstructive pneumonitis. Removal of the broncholithiasis failed with bronchofibroscopy, and so right middle lobectomy of the lung were done in the 2 patients. The histopathologic diagnosis was thoracic actinomycosis associated with broncholithiasis. Thoracic actinomycosis associated with broncholithiasis is a very rare condition, so we report here on these two cases of thoracic actinomycosis associated with broncholithiasis.
Actinomycosis ; Bronchi ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia

A 19-month-old boy suffered from stridor and dysphagia. He was taking asthma medication for a few months, but symptoms did not improve. After admission, a chest CT showed a posterior mediastinal mass, which compressed the trachea and esophagus. The removed mass via open thoracotomy was a bronchogenic cyst on histopathology. Postoperatively, stridor and dysphagia disappeared. In case of persistent and refractory stridor or dysphagia in children, congenital lesions including bronchogenic cyst need to be ruled out.
Asthma ; Bronchogenic Cyst ; Child ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Infant ; Mediastinum ; Respiratory Sounds ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax ; Trachea

An 1-month old female newborn was admitted to our hospital because of jaundice which occurred at 2 days after birth. Plain chest X-ray and chest CT revealed a collapsed right middle lobe and lobar emphysema was suspected. Right upper lobectomy of the lung was done and pathologic findings showed an infantile lobar emphysema. After the operation, the newborn was discharged without complication and was followed up through the out patient clinic. Infantile lobar emphysema is rare and male dominant. Left upper lobe of the lung is the most prevalent site. Patients with infantile lobar emphysema complain of respiratory symptoms. We report one case of infantile lobar emphysema on right upper lobe of lung, in a female with no respiratory symptoms.
Emphysema* ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Lung ; Male ; Parturition ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A 50-year old man was admitted to our hospital because he complained of sudden abdominal pain. Multidetector abdominal CT showed proximal occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. Emergency open laparotomy and Fogarty thrombectomy were done on admission day and repeat Fogarty thrombectomy and partial resection of the small bowel were done the next day. We report here on a case of superior mesenteric artery occlusion.
Abdominal Pain ; Angiography ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Middle Aged ; Thrombectomy* ; Thrombosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A 51-year-old male was admitted three month previously with a cardiac stab injury and he underwent direct cardiac repair. He had no problem after this event. He complained of dyspnea that started 2 months after the original injury. Echocardiography showed severe tricuspid regurgitation and so, chordac replacement and ring annuloplasty was performed. Herein we report on a case of tricuspid valve repair for treating tricuspid insufficiency following a cardiac stab injury.
Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency* ; Tricuspid Valve* ; Wounds, Stab

BACKGROUND: Patients suffering with pectus carinatum complain of cosmetic problems when they stand and this in spite of wearing cloths. The standard surgical treatment of pectus carinatum is resection of the deformed cartilages, but the wide operative scar, post-operative pain and complications related with such an operation can occur. Therefore, we have performed compressive brace therapy as a non-operative treatment for pectus carinatum and we observed the effects and the efficiency of this treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From January, 2001 to December, 2006, 109 patients wore the compressive brace for all day. The degree of satisfaction was evaluated after 6~9 months of wearing the compressive brace. The degree of satisfaction was evaluated by a score of from 1~4. A score of 1 was assigned when the status was worse, 2 when it was the same, 3 when there was partial improvement and 4 when remarkable improvement was observed. The degree of satisfaction was assessed subjectively by the parent if the patient was a child younger than middle school age, and the patients older than middle school age assessed the score themselves. RESULT: The mean score of the overall degree of satisfaction was 3.93+/-0.33. Recurrence of pectus carinatum after removal of compressive brace occurred in 6 patients (5.5%) of the total 109 patients. But 4 patients of the total 6 recurred patients stopped wearing of compressive brace against our advice. The 6 recurred patients were re-corrected by re-wearing the compressive brace within 3 months after they originally removed the compressive brace. The complications were discomfort with initially wearing the compressive brace, which occurred in all patients, skin rash due to the compressive brace for 76 patients (69.7%) and skin discolorization with excessive compression for 16 patients (5.5%). The skin rash and discolorization returned to normal within a few months after removal of the compressive brace. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that non-surgical treatment with using the compressive brace for patients with pectus carinatum was effective, and especially for children and teenagers. Non-surgical treatment with using a compressive brace would be helpful for the patients suffering with pectus carinatum and who dislike surgical operations because of their fear about general anesthesia and operation-related complications. Yet long-term follow up is necessary to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of this compressive brace and the recurrences after removal of the compressive brace.
Adolescent ; Anesthesia, General ; Braces* ; Cartilage ; Cartilage Diseases ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Exanthema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Parents ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Thoracic Wall

A 34-year old man was admitted our hospital because he wished to evaluate the pulmonary mass that was incidentally detected on healthy examination. Bronchoscopy and chest CT showed endobronchial and peribronchial mass of the left lower lobe of the lung. Open thoracotomy and left lower lobectomy of the lung was done. Pulmonary mass was confirmed as a pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor with bronchus invasion pathologically. Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor with bronchus invasion is a vary rare. Herein we report a case of pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor with bronchus invasion.
Adult ; Bronchi* ; Bronchoscopy ; Humans ; Lung ; Myofibroblasts* ; Thoracotomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUNG: Continuous air leakage through chest tube after lung surgery may increase pt's hospital stay and lead to many complications including empyema etc. Chemical pleurodesis has frequently been used for prevention of air leakage. Therefore, we performed chemical pleurodesis using diluted fibrin glue in patients with continuous air leakage and observed the effects and efficiency of treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From September, 2001 to August, 2005, 16 patients whose continuous air leakage lasted more than 7 days underwent chemical pleurodesis with diluted fibrin glue. The effects of treatment, complications and recurrences were reviewed. Dissolved fibrinogen 1.0 g and aprotinin 500,000 KIU were mixed in a 50 cc syringe (Mixed solution A). And dissolved thrombin 5,000 IU and Calcium chloride 600 mg were mixed in a 50 cc syringe (Mixed solution B). Cefazolin 1.0 g was mixed in a 50 cc syringe (Mixed solution C). Rubber tube was inserted between the chest tube and the collecting bottle. An inserted rubber tube was positioned 60cm above the patient and forming a loop appearance was done. Mixed solutions A, B and C were injected into the highest rubber tube. RESULTS Continuous air leakages disappeared in all 16 patients at next day. Chest tubes were removed after 3 days in all patients. Complications were chest pain in 12 patients (75%), leukocytosis in 14 patients (88%), fever and chill in 14 patients (88%). All complicaitons were transient and disappeared without specific treatment. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that diluted fibrin glue chemical pleurodesis was effective in patients with continuous air leakage lasting more than 7 days. Diluted fibrin glue chemical pleurodesis had good results with acceptable complications. Long term follow-up is necessary to evaluate the accurate effects of treatment and recurrence in a large number of patients.
Aprotinin ; Calcium Chloride ; Cefazolin ; Chest Pain ; Chest Tubes ; Empyema ; Fever ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Leukocytosis ; Lung* ; Pleurodesis ; Recurrence ; Rubber ; Syringes ; Thrombin ; Tissue Adhesives

A 42-year-old female was admitted to our hospital complaining of a dyspnea. Chest X-ray showed left atelectasis. A mass was detected in left main bronchus by computed tomography and bronchoscopy. The mass was diagnosed as a endobronchial leiomyoma by biopsy exam. After open thoracotomy and bronchotomy, mass removal was done and middle lobe was ventilated normally. Aberrant arterial supply from descending aorta to left lower lobe of the lung was detected and left lower lobectomy was done. The lower lobe of the left lung was pathologically diagnosed as intralobar pulmonary sequestration. Herein we report a rare coexistent case of endobronchial leiomyoma and intralobar pulmonary sequestration.
Adult ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Bronchial Neoplasms ; Bronchopulmonary Sequestration* ; Bronchoscopy ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Lung ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

Occult bronchial foreign body is that long-standing foreign body lodge in bronchial tree. A 63-year-old male was admitted our hospital complaining of a cough. Chest computerized tomography and bronchoscopy showed collapse of right middle lobe and foreign body in the bronchus intermedius. After open thoracotomy and bronchotomy, foreign body was removed and collapsed middle lobe was ventilated. Herein we report a case of middle lobe syndrome caused by occult foreign body in the bronchus intermedius.
Bronchi* ; Bronchoscopy ; Cough ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Middle Lobe Syndrome* ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax