bronchoscopic smear
Noun: A medical specimen collected during a bronchoscopy procedure. It is a sample of cells or mucus obtained by brushing or washing the lining of the bronchi (the main airways of the lungs). This smear is prepared on a slide for microscopic examination to diagnose conditions such as lung cancer, infections, or other pulmonary diseases.
This term is used specifically in medical and clinical contexts. * The pathologist examined the bronchoscopic smear for abnormal cells. * A bronchoscopic smear is a standard diagnostic tool for evaluating a suspicious lung lesion.
The term is highly technical. In clinical reporting, it is often part of a finding, e.g., "The bronchoscopic smear was positive for malignant cells," indicating a diagnosis of cancer.
- Bronchial washing: A related procedure where fluid is instilled and then suctioned back to collect cells; the resulting fluid can be used to create a smear.
- Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL): A similar but more extensive washing procedure that reaches the smaller air sacs (alveoli).
- Sputum smear: A simpler, non-invasive smear made from coughed-up mucus, as opposed to one obtained via bronchoscopy.
- Bronchial smear
- Respiratory cytology specimen (this is a broader category that includes bronchoscopic smears)
- To obtain a bronchoscopic smear: The action of collecting the sample.
- During the procedure, the pulmonologist will obtain a bronchoscopic smear for analysis.
- any of several cytologic smears obtained from different parts of the lower respiratory tract; used for cytologic study of cancer and other diseases of the lungs