Bronchoscopy can be used to diagnose airways and lung abnormalities. If you have a chronic cough or are coughing up blood, your doctor can perform a bronchoscopy to view the inside of your airways and therefore evaluate your lung condition. This examination can also be used when lung infections (eg. tuberculosis), lung cancer or scarring of the lung is suspected following X-ray examinations. When lung abnormalities are suspected, bronchoscopy allows tissue specimens of the lungs to be collected from inside the lungs using biopsies or bronchoalveolar lavage.
Bronchoscopy also has therapeutic purposes, eg. it can be used to remove fluid or mucus, or possible foreign objects that are blocking your airway. It can also be used to insert a stent to widen narrowed airways. It also assists the use of laser tumour removal.