Birat Journal of Health Sciences
Bronchoscopic Characterization of Lesions and Airway Abnormalities in Nepalese Patients Presenting with Chronic Cough with Normal Radiological Imaging
By Rejina Shahi, Narendra Bhatta, Deebya Raj Mishra and 3 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Chronic cough, defined as cough lasting more than eight weeks, is one of the most common respiratory complaints in Nepal, accounting for up to 30% of pulmonary outpatient visits. Despite standard diagnostic workup, a substantial number of patients remain undiagnosed. Flexible bronchoscopy enables direct visualization of the tracheobronchial tree and collection of microbiological and histopathological specimens, offering added diagnostic value in patients with unexplained chronic cough and normal radiological imaging.
Objectives
To determine the prevalence of tracheobronchial abnormalities detected by flexible bronchoscopy in patients with chronic cough and normal radiological imaging, and to assess their relationship with histopathological and microbiological findings. Methodology: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal, from July 2021 to April 2022. Thirtynine patients fulfilling the case definition were enrolled. All underwent flexible bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), endobronchial biopsy, spirometry, and relevant microbiological investigations. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Fisher exact test were applied using SPSS v20.