THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE FIBEROPTIC BRONCHOSCOPY IN DIAGNOSING OF SMEAR NEGATIVE PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

The study has analysed the role and signifi cance of fi brobronchoscopy in the early and defi nitive diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis in 102 patients treated on the Pulmonary Ward of ‘Dr Ivo Pedišić’ hospital in Sisak – location Petrinja from 1st January 2007 to 31st December 2012 and whose initial sputum specimens directly tested negative for acid resistant bacilli. What has been analysed is the diagnostic effi ciency of particular bronchoscopic procedures themselves and their combinations. An early diagnosis of active tuberculosis has been made in 31 patients (30,39%), and defi nitive diagnosis in 67 patients (65,68%). The etiological diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis has been made only on the basis of specimens taken during fi brobronchoscopy in 28 patients (9,65%). A statistically signifi cant number of patients in whom diagnosis has been made by fi brobronchoscopy emphasizes the importance of this method in the etiological diagnostics of active pulmonary TB in those patients whose sputum samples are microscopically directly negative and/or in those who cannot spontaneously expectorate valid sputum.