Bronchoscopy

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Bronchoscopy is examination of the inner lining of the airway.

Bronchoscopy is indicated when a cigarette smoker has hemoptysis (coughs blood), chronic cough, a localized wheeze, collapse of a part of the lung or a central mass on a chest x-ray.

It is usually performed under local anesthesia and sedation. It can be performed on an out- patient basis in most cases.

A flexible tube containing lenses and fiberoptic elements is passed through the mouth or nose, and the larynx, trachea and bronchi are examined in detail. Depending on the size of the bronchoscope, the airway can be examined as far as the second or third branching of the segmental bronchi. Abnormalities are noted and photographed. Pinch or needle biopsies can be taken from directly visualized abnormal areas, or the lung beyond the visual range can be sampled by brushing or washing with fluid, under x-ray guidance, if necessary. Cultures are routinely taken to evaluate the possible presence of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

Bronchoscopy is very safe, with a very low complication rate.

Bronchoscopy will be successful in diagnosis of lung cancer in approximately 75% of selected cases. Diagnosis in peripheral lung masses is more difficult. Failure to obtain a diagnosis does not exclude lung cancer.

A page that describes and illustrates the endoscopic appearance of the respiratory tract is located at Endo-Bronchial Anatomy

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