bronchoscopy

bronchoscopy, medical examination of the bronchial tissues using a lighted instrument known as a bronchoscope. The procedure is commonly used to aid the diagnosis of respiratory disease in persons with persistent cough or who are coughing up blood, as well as in persons who have abnormal chest findings following computerized axial tomography scanning or X-ray examination. Bronchoscopy is also employed to remove foreign objects from the airways, to deliver certain therapeutic agents directly into the...