Contribution of bronchial fibroscopy in developing countries

Bronchial fibruscopy is a recent investigation method that requires equipme nt and facilities difficult to implement in respiratory diseases units in d eveloping countries. In Burkina Faso, this technique was introduced for the first time in February 1997. The purpose of this study. was to determine t he contribution of bronchial fibroscopy for the diagnosis of respiratory di sease in countries with limited resources. This study was conducted between February 1997 and October 1998 or the resp iratory diseases unit of the Yalgado Ouedraogo National Hospital Center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Thirty-five cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed including 29 cases with bronchial node involvement, where bronchial fibros copy is an essential diagnostic examination, and 6 cases of bacteriological ly proven pulmonary tuberculosis. Ten cases of lung cancer were diagnosed ( 40% squamous cell carcinoma), Malignant disease is a reality in developing countries despite low rates of diagnosis due to insufficient diagnostic fac ilities. For tuberculosis, the importance of specific treatment is certainly well es tablished and should always be initiated, even if fibroscopy cannot be perf ormed This contrasts with the situation for malignant disease, where the hi gh prevalence of lung cancer (9.9% of the bronchial fibrosropies performed) is associated with total lack of treatment dice to the absence of a thorac ic surgery? unit or a radiotherapy unit, and the impossibility of providing satisfactory surveillance of anti-cancer chemotherapy.