Diagnosis and treatment of 471 cases with atelectasis by branchofiberoscope

[Objective] To analysis the clinic characteristic of atelectasis. [Methods] 471 cases with atelectasis were collected from department of respiratory medicine in our hospital to analyse the location and causes of atelectasis. [Results] There were 141 cases of right-middle lobe atelectasis, including 114 cases of right-upper lobe atelectasis, 47 cases of right-lower lobe atelectasis, 70 cases of left-upper lobe atelectasis, 53 cases of left-lower lobe atelectasis, 42 cases of whole left lobe atelectasis and 4 cases of whole right lobe atelectasis, which were approximate 29.9%, 24.2%, 10%, 14.9%,11.3%, 8.9% and 0.9% respectively. There were 120 cases of inflammation, 98 cases of tuberculosis,145 cases of cancer, 45 cases of neoplasm, 28 cases of foreign body,28 cases of normal observation under branchofiberoscope and 5 cases of blood blot, which were 25.3%, 20.8%, 30.8%, 9.6%, 5.9%, 5.9% and 1.5% respectively. There were 63 cases of inflammation in right-middle lobe atelectasis (approximate 44.7%), 54 cases of cancer in right-upper lobe atelectasis (approximate 47.4%), 22 cases of cancer in right-lower lobe atelectasis (approximate 46.8%), 27 cases of cancer in left-upper lobe atelectasis (approximate 38.6%), 20 cases of inflammation in left-lower lobe atelectasis (approximate37.3%) and 14 case of neoplasm in whole left lobe atelectasis (approximate 33.3%). [Conclusions] The more common atelectasis is in right-middle lobe, then in right-upper lobe atelectasis, left-upper lobe atelectasis, left-lower lobe atelectasis, right-lower lobe atelectasis. The least common atelectasis is in whole left lobe. Cancer is the most common cause of atelectasis, then inflammation. Tuberculosis is still an important cause of atelectasis. Inflammation is the more common cause of right-middle lobe atelectasis and left-lower lobe atelectasis, while cancer is the more common cause of right-upper lobe atelectasis, left-upper lobe atelectasis and right-lower lobe atelectasis. Neoplasm is the principle cause of whole left lobe atelectasis.