Bronchography

¹ The Departments of Medicine and Radiology, the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The aim in all bronchography for the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary suppurative disease is complete five-lobe bronchial mapping. Accurate localization of the extent of bronchial disease is essential for proper surgical extirpation of the affected bronchopulmonary segments. It is deplorable that good bronchography is the exception rather than the rule.

It is the authors' opinion and firm conviction that the transnasal endobronchial catheter method is the ideal technique for bronchography. Preliminary sedation (codeine and nembutal) is advisable. Cocaine is the topical anesthetic of choice. Lipiodol is the contrast medium preferred and the Stitz catheter is satisfactory.

Ideally only one lung should be bronchographed at a single sitting; however, expediency often dictates the necessity of establishing the status of the bronchi of both lungs at a single hospital visit.

A detailed description of the technique of the transnasal endobronchial catheter method is given. No post-bronchographic complications have occurred in a series of 503 cases.