bronchoscope
Meaning of bronchoscope: A bronchoscope is a thin, lighted instrument passed into the airway to directly view and sample tissue from the trachea and bronchi.
Definition of bronchoscope
A bronchoscope is a thin, tube shaped instrument used to examine the inside of the trachea and the bronchi, the airways that branch from the trachea into the lungs. It is equipped with a light source and a lens or small camera that allows the images from inside the airway to be viewed directly or displayed on a screen.
Many bronchoscopes are flexible, allowing the instrument to be guided through the natural curves of the airway, though rigid versions are also used for certain procedures. Some bronchoscopes include a channel through which small instruments can be passed to collect a tissue sample, remove an object, or clear secretions.
Bronchoscopy, the procedure performed with a bronchoscope, is used to investigate causes of chronic cough, abnormal findings on chest imaging, or unexplained bleeding from the airway, and to obtain tissue samples for diagnosis directly from the site of concern.
How bronchoscope is built
- bronch/o Combining form · Greek bronchus, airway
- -scope Suffix · Greek instrument for viewing
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
A bronchoscope was used to obtain a tissue sample from the abnormal area seen on chest imaging.
Good to know
A flexible bronchoscope is generally preferred for diagnostic evaluation of the airway, while a rigid bronchoscope is often reserved for procedures such as removing a foreign object or managing significant bleeding.
Word origin
Where “bronchoscope” comes from
Formed from Greek bronchos, meaning windpipe, and skopein, meaning to examine or view.