Role of virtual bronchoscopy in the evaluation of bronchial lesions.

Background: Virtual bronchoscopy (VB) is a type of 3-dimensional reconstruction in which the observation point is placed within the airway to produce an endoscopiclike view.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic role of VB in the diagnosis of tracheobronchial lesions, as compared to fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB).

Subjects: Fifty patients with tracheobronchial lesions were enrolled (30 patients with bronchogenic carcinomas and 20 patients with tracheobronchial inflammatory lesions).