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The first report of diffuse panbronchiolitis in Korea: five case reports
1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea.
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan)
|May 1, 1992
Summary
Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB), a lung disease common in Japan, has now been identified in Korea. Researchers found five cases, suggesting DPB may be underdiagnosed in the region.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
Background:
- Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is a rare inflammatory airway disease predominantly found in East Asia, particularly Japan.
- Historically, DPB cases outside Japan have been infrequently reported, with none documented in Korea.
Observation:
- A recent study identified five cases of DPB in Korea, including two confirmed histologically and three suspected clinically and radiologically.
- All identified cases presented with characteristic respiratory symptoms, signs, and a history of chronic sinusitis.
Findings:
- High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in suspected cases revealed typical DPB findings.
- HRCT effectively ruled out other pulmonary conditions like emphysema, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis.
Implications:
- The findings suggest that diffuse panbronchiolitis may be present but underdiagnosed in Korea.
- Increased awareness and diagnostic efforts are warranted to identify more DPB cases in the Korean population and potentially other regions.
- This study highlights the importance of considering DPB in patients with chronic respiratory symptoms and sinusitis, even outside endemic areas.