Fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed in 30 cases of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis. Sputum was negative for tubercle bacilli in all the patients, but in specimens obtained at bronchoscopy tubercle bacilli were found in 86.6%. By postbronchoscopy sputum smear examination tubercle bacilli were detected in 73.3% of the cases.