The Role of Bronchoscopy in Tuberculosis of Infancy and Childhood

¹ The Medical Chest Service, the Los Angeles County General Hospital.
² Senior Attending, Medical Chest Service, the Los Angeles County General Hospital.

1. A series of 79 bronchoscopies on 37 children with pulmonary tuberculosis is reported.

2. The children were selected at random, without particular regard for the usual criteria for bronchoscopy.

3. Twelve (32.4 per cent) had visible endobronchial disease. In seven this was manifested by granulomata, in four by deformities resulting from the pressure of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, and in one by inflammatory orificial stenosis.

4. Drugs alone brought about resolution of enlarged nodes and granular mucous membrane but not of formed granulomata.

5. Bronchoscopic removal of granulomata and aspiration of exudate was effective in restoring to normal appearance those bronchi visibly involved by granulomatous disease.

6. Both the x-ray and clinical signs are unreliable in determining prior to bronchoscopy which child will have visible endobronchial disease.

7. Bronchoscopy is an important adjunct in the diagnoses and treatment of children with pulmonary tuberculosis and should be performed on those in whom the total picture indicates the necessity of more than merely casual observation.