The use of the pediatric fiberoptic bronchoscope in adults

Standard fiberoptic bronchoscopes with external diameters of more than 4.5 mm are commonly used to diagnose pulmonary diseases in adults. A smaller bronchoscope with an external diameter of 3.5 mm has been in use to examine pediatric airway disorders. Three adult patients, 2 with hemoptysis and 1 with cough, when examined using the standard fiberoptic bronchoscope, had nondiagnostic findings. Subsequent examination using the pediatric fiberoptic bronchoscope revealed endobronchial lesions in all 3 patients. On the basis of the findings of pediatric bronchoscopic examination, it was possible to provide appropriate therapeutic decisions, which may not have resulted from the standard bronchoscopic examinations. The smaller external diameter of the pediatric bronchoscope will enable the bronchoscopist to detect endobronchial lesions in smaller airways that cannot be visualized by the standard fiberoptic bronchoscopes.