Bronchoscopy
A doctor performs a bronchoscopy to visually examine a patient's airway using a bronchoscope. This procedure helps in diagnosing lung diseases, evaluating abnormal chest x-rays, assessing persistent cough, removing foreign objects, collecting tissue samples, and treating certain conditions.
How a bronchoscopy can help you
Bronchoscopy lets your doctor examine your airway using a bronchoscope. It involves inspecting the throat, larynx, trachea and lower airways.
Bronchoscopy may be used to:
- Find the cause of chronic airway problems, such as bleeding, trouble breathing or a long-term (chronic) cough.
- Take tissue samples when other tests, such as chest X-ray or CT scan, show problems with the lung or with lymph nodes in the chest.
- Diagnose lung diseases by collecting tissue or mucus (sputum) samples for examination.
- Diagnose and determine the extent of lung cancer.
- Remove objects blocking the airway.
- Check and treat growths in the airway.
- Treat areas of the airway that have narrowed and are causing problems.