Flexible bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is an essential tool in respiratory medicine, which allows visualization and sampling from the main airways. It has an important role in the evaluation of suspected lung cancer, interstitial lung disease, persistent infection and the assessment of new pulmonary infiltrates in immunocompromised patients. It is a very safe technique which can be performed with or without conscious sedation. Recent developments have ranged from the improvement in image quality to integration of ultrasound. This has increased diagnostic sensitivity and facilitated image-guided biopsies of masses beyond the airways. The therapeutic role of bronchoscopy is also expanding from lung cancer to airways disease.