Introduction Central airway obstruction (CAO) is the narrowing of central airways (trachea, mainstem bronchi, and bronchus intermedius) due to benign and malignant diseases. In this chapter we focus on CAO…
Introduction The goal of this chapter is to provide an effective, systematic, multimodality bronchoscopic approach to the problem of malignant airway obstruction that facilitates proper integration of all of the…
Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes considerable morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditure both in the United States and globally. For COPD patients with burdensome symptoms despite standard medical…
Introduction Asthma affects over 300 million people throughout the world, with a high burden of morbidity and mortality. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, approximately 250, 000 people die…
Photodynamic Therapy Introduction The advent of photodynamic therapy (PDT) was one of the early advances in interventional pulmonology that elevated therapeutic bronchoscopy into the curative arena. First used by Hayata…
Introduction An airway stent is a hollow prosthesis that maintains airway patency and provides structural support. Stent deployment is an integral skill for an interventional pulmonologist. The indications and selection…
Introduction Rapid ablative techniques refer to various thermal therapies used to treat endobronchial diseases which have their effect almost immediately. They include laser, electrocautery, and argon plasma coagulation (APC). They…
Introduction Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) is a relatively new technique in the diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD). The basic rationale for development of TBCB is based on the inferiority…
Mandatory DoD Disclaimer The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy,…
Rigid Bronchoscopy Background Rigid bronchoscopy has seen a recent resurgence, primarily for therapeutic indications, in management of patients with complex airway disorders. The rigid bronchoscope owes its conceptualization to Gustav…
