Bronchoscopy

Background

Bronchoscopy is an endoscopic technique used to visualize the tracheobronchial tree for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The word “bronchoscopy” is derived from Greek words by combining the prefix “broncho” meaning “bronchus” and the verb “skopía” meaning “to view.” Rigid bronchoscopy, which was first used in the 1920s, is less commonly used now, as it uses a more rigid piece of equipment that can only access the proximal airway. Flexible bronchoscopy is also known as standard white light bronchoscopy. Bronchoscopy is sometimes referred to as a “bronch.”