1Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonology, J J M Medical College, Davangere
2Assistant Professor, Department of OBG, J J M Medical College, Davangere
3Senior Resident, (Pulmonology), J J M Medical College, Davangere
Respiratory diseases come with wide range of presentations. Some of these cases present with various undiagnosed lung lesions in the chest x ray. The advent and availability of fiberoptic bronchoscope has been a major advance in pulmonary medicine.
This is a prospective study done in50 patients who presented with various respiratory symptoms to our hospital with undiagnosed lung lesions in the chest x-ray. They underwent Fiber optic bronchoscopy(FOB), BAL fluid analysis and forceps biopsy and evaluated.
Among 20 patients suspected of sputum negative pulmonary tuberculosis 7(35%) turned out as positive for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB). Among 21 patients categorized into malignancy 15 (71.42%) turned out as malignancy. Most common cell type in our study was of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SqCC). Bronchoscopy results in a definitive diagnosis in nearly half of the patients analyzed with a positive yield of 46% (23 patients).
Fiber optic bronchoscopy (FOB) is an important investigation in determining the etiology and definitive diagnosis in patients presenting with various respiratory symptoms with undiagnosed lung lesions in the chest x-ray.
Fiber optic bronchoscopy(FOB), Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB), Squamous Cell Carcinoma(SqCC).), Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)
