Abstract: Objective To evaluate factors affecting the diagnostic yield of FB in evaluating solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) .Methods Retrospective analysis of bronchoscopies performed 54 cases of pa tients with solitary pulmonary nodules .Results The diagnostic accuracy of bronchos copy in lesions were 6 8.5 % (37of 5 4) ,There were 23 malignant(42 .6 % ) .The yield of bronchoscopy was directly related to lesionsiza(P＜0 .0 5 ) .When lesions were stratifled distance from the hilum by lesion size ,the difference in yield was no significant .However ,lesions <2cm had a diahnostic yield of 3.4 % (1of 2 9)when located in the peripheral third vs 6 8.0 % (17of 2 5 )when located in the inner two thirds of the lung .There was a higher combined diagnostic yield in middle and lower lobe basal segment lobes when compared to all other segments .Conclusion Location and Size are the yield of deter minant of diagnostic yield in bronchoscopy when evaluating SPNs Transbronchial lung biopsy ,washing ,brushing and sputum examination after FB were complementary in improving the yield of bronchoscopy .The yield of brinchoscopy is particularly low in lesions <2cm that are located in the outer third of the lung .Thus alternative diagnostic approaches may bepreferable in this situation .

Key words: Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy, solitary pulmonary nodules