The surgeon's use of the rigid and flexible bronchoscopes in the diagnosis of bronchial carcinoma.

The results of a prospective study comparing the rigid and flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopic techniques in the diagnosis and assessment of bronchial carcinoma are reported. One hundred and nine patients underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy and these were compared with a similar group of 111 patients in whom the rigid bronchoscope was used. Bronchoscopic diagnosis of malignancy was achieved in 73.4% of patients in the fibreoptic group and in 73% using the rigid bronchoscope.