The Comparision of the Radiofrequency Ablasion Therapy with Vertebroplasty and Radiotherapy in Metastatic Spine Tumor / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: To evaluation the availability of combined treatment with radiofrequency (RF) ablation with vertebroplasty in patients with metastatic spine tumor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2007 and March 2009, 34 patients with the metastatic spine tumor, RF ablation with vertebroplasty was performed in 17 patients, and radiotherapy in the other 17 patients. Cumulative 1-year patient survival rate were compared with the both groups. Pain relief and quality of life were evaluated with use of the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Roland Moris Questionnaire (RMQ). RESULTS: Nine of 17 patients with the RF ablasion therapy with vertebroplasty and 8 of 17 patients with radiotherapy were died. Tumor necrosis was observed in 61.2+/-22.4% (range 28-100%) of the tumor volume. In terms of pain relief, VAS score of preoperative, 1 week and 4 weeks following were 7.12, 3.82 and 3.65 in RF ablation with vertebroplasty group, and 7.00, 5.39 and 4.94 in radiotherapy group(p-value <0.001, <0.001). The score of RMQ score was improved from 12.94 to 7.18 in operation group (p-value <0.001), and 14.11 to 10.89 in radiotherapy group(p-value 0.001). But in terms of pain relief (score of VAS) and quality of life (score of RMQ), RF with vertebroplasty group showed significantly better than the radiotheray group (VAS, p for intercation 0.004, RMQ, p for interaction 0.024). CONCLUSION: RF with vertebroplasty is thought to be a useful method to improve the pain relief and quality of life in patients with metastatic spine tumor.

The Clinical and Radiology Characteristics of Diabetic or Non-diabetic Tuberculosis Patients: a Retrospective Study / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes mellitus are highly sensitive to infections, including tuberculosis, and the longer the duration of DM, the greater is the prevalance of tuberculosis. We studied the difference of the clinical manifestations, radiologic findings, resistance and others factors of patients with diabetic and non-diabetic pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: The patients we enrolled in this study were newly diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis from January 2003 to December 2005. RESULTS: 159 patients were enrolled in this study. There were 30 pulmonary tuberculosis patients with diabetic mellitus (DMTB) and 129 pulmonary tuberculosis patients without diabetic mellitus (non-DMTB). There was no difference in the basic characteristics and clinical manifestation between both the groups. For the chest X-ray findings, the moderately advanced tuberculosis patients were the most common (43.3% in the DMTB group and 49.6% in the non-DMTB group). There was no relation between the severity of tuberculosis activity on chest x-ray and the presence of diabetes. The prevalence of cavitory lesions in the DMTB group was significantly higher than that in the non-DMTB group, but the prevalence of atelectasis was higher in the non-DMTB group (p<0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of lower lung involvement, the number of involved lobes, the number of treatment days and the radiological sequelae in both groups. CONCLUSION: The DMTB patients had a higher incidence of cavitory lesions and a higher incidence of atelectasis than the non-DMTB patients.

Lung Cancer Presented as Painful Swelling of Lower Legs / 결핵및호흡기질환

Trousseau's syndrome comsists of migratory thrombophlebitis and thromboembolic disorders of the venous and arterial systems in a malignancy or occult cancer. The overall incidence has been reported to vary from 1 to 11%. Pancreatic, lung, prostate, and stomach cancer is associated with the greatest risk of thromboembolic events. We encountered a 49-year-old man who presented with painful swelling of his lower legs. The chest radiograph showed increased opacity of the Left middle lung fields and Doppler sonography showed a thrombus in the left superficial femoral vein. Chest Computed Tomography showed a 5cm sized left hilar mass invading the pericardium with lymphadenopathy. The bronchoscope biopsy demonstrated an adenocarcinoma of the lung. Platinum based chemotherapy and anticoagulant therapy with warfarin was carried out. The patient was later discharged with an improvement in the painful swelling of his lower legs.

A Case of Massive Hemoptysis & Pneumonia Caused by Metallic Foreign Body / 결핵및호흡기질환

Endobronchial foreign bodies are difficult to diagnose as the cause of obstructive pneumonia and atelectasis, However, once discovered, they can generally be removed, leading to an immediate and dramatic resolution of the symptoms. Occasionally, small foreign bodies that lodge in the peripheral airway are often initially asymptomatic but become symptomatic several years later. We reported a case of obstructive pneumonia and massive hemoptysis caused by a foreign metallic body. The patient knew that the foreign body was lodged in the peripheral airway on the chest X-ray, but did not want treatment. Several years later, he had a massive hemoptysis and obstructive pneumonia. Removal with a flexible bronchoscope failed, but the metallic foreign body was self-expectorated by coughing after the procedure. The pneumonia was resolved after removing the foreign body. The patient improved and was discharged without any sequela.