A Clinical Study on Etiology of Hemoptysis and Diagnostic Yield of Highresolution Computed Tomography Thorax and Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy in Patients Presenting With Hemoptysis

Objective: About 20–30% of patients with hemoptysis may show normal or non-localizing chest X-ray. Whether the clinician should choose computed tomography (CT) scan of the thorax or fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) as the first diagnostic option in evaluating patients with hemoptysis and those who are with a normal chest radiograph (CXR) is still debatable. In this study, we have tried to explore the causes of hemoptysis and compare the diagnostic yield of FOB and high-resolution CT (HRCT) thorax in the evaluation of hemoptysis. Methods: It was a single institutional prospective study among patients presented with hemoptysis. After stabilization and control of hemoptysis, all patients underwent CT thorax. In cases where the cause of hemoptysis could not be diagnosed by CT scan was diagnosed by FOB. Results: The mean age of the overall study population was 39.83±12.6 years. Male: female ratio was 1.7:1. In this study, the etiology of hemoptysis was diagnosed by HRCT in 18 (25%) cases and by FOB in 32 (44.4%) cases. In 16 cases, diagnosis was not possible by CT and FOB. Bronchiectasis was the most common (22.2%) pathology diagnosed followed by pulmonary tuberculosis (20.8%). Bronchogenic carcinoma constituted 12.5% of cases, and 22.2% cases of hemoptysis were idiopathic. Conclusion: Both CT and FOB play a definite role in diagnosing the etiology of hemoptysis and they are complementary to each other in the diagnosis of hemoptysis.