Bronchoscopy is performed to aid to in the diagnosis of respiratory tract diseases. Bronchitis, bacterial pneumonia, airway foreign bodies, parasites, non-infectious inflammatory airway diseases, and cancers are examples of disorders that can be diagnosed with bronchoscopy. In addition, patients with coughing that do not respond to treatment may benefit from the procedure.
Bronchoscopy may be useful in determining the cause of changes seen in the lungs on chest x-rays. It can also establish the source of hemorrhage in patients that are coughing up blood. Bronchoscopy is also very useful in the evaluation of suspected airway structural disorders, including tracheal or bronchial collapse.
