ABSTRACT
Introduction: The field of interventional pulmonology (IP) is a rapidly maturing subspecialty of pulmonary medicine, which emphasizes advanced diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy for the evaluation and management of central airway obstruction, mediastinal/hilar adenopathy and lung nodules/masses, as well as minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic pleural procedures.
Areas covered: This review describes advances in diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic techniques.
Expert commentary: In the past decade, there has been a remarkable growth in available technology and equipment, as well as clinical and translational research efforts focused on patient-centered outcomes. Furthermore, the recent establishment of a uniform accreditation standard for all IP fellowship programs in the United States was an important step in the continued evolution of this subspecialty of pulmonary medicine.
Declaration of interest
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.