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 lungs. This examination can also be used for suspected lung infections (eg. tuberculosis), lung cancer or lung scarring after x-ray examinations. When lung abnormalities are suspected, bronchoscopy allows tissue specimens of the lungs to be collected from inside the lungs using biopsies.
Bronchoscopy also has therapeutic purposes. For example, it can be used to remove fluid, mucus or foreign objects that are obstructing your airways. It can also be used to insert a stent to widen narrowed airways. It is also used to assist laser tumour removal.