Type of Surgery

Information

Doctor Certified

Last updated: 11/24/2009

Normal results

If the results of the bronchoscopy are normal, the windpipe (trachea) appears as smooth muscle with C-shaped rings of cartilage at regular intervals. There are no abnormalities either in the trachea or in the bronchi of the lungs.

Bronchoscopy...

results may also confirm a suspected diagnosis. This may include swelling, ulceration, or deformity in the bronchial wall, such as inflammation, stenosis, or compression of the trachea, neoplasm, and foreign bodies. The bronchoscopy may also reveal the presence of atypical substances in the trachea and bronchi. If samples are taken, the results could indicate cancer, disease-causing agents, or other lung diseases. Other findings may include constriction or narrowing (stenosis), compression, dilation of vessels, or abnormal branching of the bronchi. Abnormal substances that might be found in the airways include blood, secretions, or mucous plugs.



PREVIOUS:
7. Risks

Advertisement

This animation shows the immune system reacting (or overreacting) at the cellular level. It describes what happens when an allergen, like dander or pollen, enters the body. It also shows how some allergy medicines work, like anti-histamines.

Related Videos

What Does a Stroke Do?

The animated video, narrated by a physician, describes the two main types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic strokes are further subdivided into thrombotic strokes and embolic strokes while hemorrhagic strokes are classified into subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage. The location of the stroke in the brain directly influences the kind and degree of neurological deficit, which is discussed.

3D Medical Animation - What is Cancer?

This narrated animation explains how normal cells sometimes change and turn into cancer cells. It touches on some of the causes and the prevalence of cancer and cancer deaths in the population.

How the Body Works : The Respiratory System

The animation explains how the lungs provide oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the blood. The specialized anatomy of the air sac in the lung allows the gas exchange to occur efficiently, as discussed and shown in the video.

Balloon Sinuplasty technology explanation

The sinuses in the skull can become blocked and inflamed leading to pain and sometimes fever. The traditional surgical treatment for blocked sinuses was to use rigid instruments to enlarge the areas that drain the sinuses. A newer approach, which is shown in this animation, involves the insertion and inflation of a balloon to expand the sinus outlets. This approach is similar to balloon angioplasty used in damaged or blocked blood vessels.

Bronchoscopy can be performed via the patient's mouth (A) or through the nose (C). During the procedure, the scope is fed down the trachea and into the bronchus leading to the lungs (B), providing the physician with a view of internal structures (D). (Illustration by GGS Inc.) Bronchoscopy can be performed via the patient's mouth (A) or through the nose (C). During the procedure, the scope is fed down the trachea and into the bronchus leading to the lungs (B), providing the physician with a view of internal structures (D). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)




Search

Other Information

Bronchoscopy is a technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument (bronchoscope) is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a tracheostomy. This allows the practitioner to examine the patient's airways for abnormalities such as foreign bodies, bleeding, tumors, or inflammation. Specimens may be taken from inside the lungs: biopsies, fluid (bronchoalveolar lavage), or endobronchial brushing. The construction of bronchoscopes ranges from rigid metal tubes with attached lighting devices to flexible fibreoptic instruments with realtime video equipment.


From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchoscopy

Find a Qualified Specialist

Looking for a specialist?

Please enter your zip code.