Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is an endoscopic technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a tracheostomy.

Bronchoscopy is a procedure a doctor uses to look inside the lungs. This is done with a bronchoscope, a thin, flexible tube with a light and a lens or small video camera on the end.

A bronchoscopy can be used to diagnose:

• a lung disease
• a tumor
• a chronic cough
• an infection

The procedure can also be used to detect the source of pulmonary bleeding or identify foreign bodies in young children.