Diagnostic role of fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the etiological diagnosis of various bronchopulmonary diseases: A prospective study in a tertiary care hospital in South India

Aims: To know the diagnostic yield of FOB in various bronchopulmonary diseases and to compare the pre- and postbronchoscopy diagnosis. Settings and Design: The present prospective study was carried out in 130 patients from September 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021 in a tertiary care hospital of South India. Materials and Methods: The demographic data, chest radiographic findings, prebronchoscopy suspected clinical diagnosis, bronchoscopic findings, microbiological results, pathological data, and postbronchoscopy confirmed clinical diagnosis were recorded as per a predesigned proforma and analyzed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 52.5 years (SD ± 15.4, range: 18–85) with 73.8% males and 26.2% females. The most common prebronchoscopy suspected clinical diagnosis was lung malignancy (n = 59, 45.3%) followed by lung infections (n = 34, 26%) and pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 20, 15.3%). The distribution of the clinical diagnosis postbronchoscopy was as follows: lung malignancy (n = 44, 33.8%), lung infections (n = 31, 23.8%), and pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 16, 12.3%). FOB diagnostic yield of lung malignancy, lung infections, and pulmonary tuberculosis was 59.3%, 50%, and 40%, respectively. Thirty-five (79.5%) cases of confirmed lung malignancy, 17 (54.8%) of lung infections, and 8 (50%) cases of confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis were accurately suspected by the clinician before bronchoscopy. Overall, the diagnostic yield of FOB was established in 92 cases (70.7%). Conclusion: Bronchoscopy could establish a diagnosis in more than two-thirds of the cases. The most suspected prebronchoscopy diagnosis and the confirmed postbronchoscopy diagnosis was lung malignancy. Pulmonary infections had the best correlation between prebronchoscopy and postbronchoscopy diagnosis.