A Clinical Study of Middle Lobe Syndrome

Kim, Hee Jin; Ma, Sung Dae; Kim, Eun Bae; Jang, Kwan Sik; Rhu, Nam Soo; Cho, Dong Il; Kim, Jae Won

doi:1988.35.3.194

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 35(3); 1988 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 1988;35(3):194-199.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1988.35.3.194 Published online September 1, 1988.

A Clinical Study of Middle Lobe Syndrome

Hee Jin Kim, Sung Dae Ma, Eun Bae Kim, Kwan Sik Jang, Nam Soo Rhu, Dong Il Cho, Jae Won Kim

Department of Chest Medicine, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

우중엽 증후군에 대한 임상적 고찰

김희진, 마성대, 김은배, 장관식, 유남수, 조동일, 김재원

Abstract

Forty two cases of middle lobe syndrome who had been hospitalized between 1980 and 1987 were reviewed by clinical, radiological, bacteriological, histopathologic and bronchoscopic presentation. 1n our study, tuberculosis (45%) was the main cause and the remaining were pneumonia (24%), bronchiectasis (19%) and malignant tumor (7%). The chief complaints of the patients in order were coughing, chest discomfort, dyspnea and hemoptysis. By bronchoscopic examination, 55% of the cases demonstrated well preserved bronchial lumens, which strongly suggest that impairment of collateral ventilation is the main pathological change of middle lobe syndrome. The remaining 45% showed narrowing or complete obstruction of right middle lobe bronchus. The follow up study showed more favorable prognosis in pneumonia and bronchiectasis than tuberculosis or malignancy.