A patient with cold abscess on chest wall undetected for 15 years *
History taking and physical examinations are useful tools for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases, but nowadays, there is a tendency to make light of them because advances in diagnostic techniques. Although, ordinarily, if a 6 cm mass exists on the chest wall, anyphysician should notice it easily, we experienced a case in whom many doctors had not noticed a mass on the chest wall during a period of about 15 years. After through history taking and physical examinations, we were able to find the mass, a cold abscess on the chest wall, after seeing the patient's chest CT film. Therefore, we want to emphasize the importance of physical examinations and history taking in routine medical work. (Accepted on November 13, 2003)
