Interventional pneumology. Advances over the last 10 years and future perspectives

More than 100 years after the introduction of bronchoscopy these methods are continually-being further developed. In the last millennium it was primarily a procedure which allowed material to be removed from the lungs and for diagnostic purposes but now therapeutic procedures are rapidly developing. After establishment of the procedure for treatment of airway stenosis, especially when caused by malignancies, with thermal procedures and stent implantation, the options of endoscopic lung volume reduction and radiofrequency ablation of smooth muscle-for asthma patients now represent methods which are used in larger patient collec-tives. Further developments which in the coming years will advance this discipline further are procedures which allow access to focal masses and surgery through natural orifices. Internal thoracoscopy/pleuroscopy is the second most important interventional procedure in pneumology. The main indications are currently the diagnostics of unclear pleural effusion, talc pleurodesis of malignant effusions, pneumothorax and management of pleural empyema.