Department of Internal Medicine, Cardio-pneumologic Hospital, Lyon-FRANCE
Abstract
Interventional bronchoscopy is a new and non-surgical diagnostic, therapeutic and palliative approach to patient with bronchial pathologies. It consists mostly of rigid endobronchial broncoscopy under general anesthesia, with the use of (1)NdYAG or KTP laser (2)Cryotherapy (3)Endobronchial prostheses (4)Photodynamic therapy (5)Brachytherapy and, (6)Thermocoagulation. The idea is to treat by non-surgical measures, most of the early stage tracheobronchial cancer (insitu or microinvasive). The other utility is to associate this technique as an adjuvant treatment with chemo-radiotherapy in advance lung carcinoma. Treatment of benign structural or endobronchial pathologies as well as control of hemoptysis and foreign body removal are the other indications. In the future, interventional bronchoscopy will be a leader to diagnose and treat bronchial diseases. (Tanaffos 2002; 1(3): 13-18)
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