Bronchophony - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

6/24/15, 1:43

Bronchophony
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bronchophony, also known as

bronchiloquy,[1] is the abnormal
transmission of sounds from the lungs or
bronchi. Bronchophony is a type of
pectoriloquy.

Bronchophony

It is a general medical sign detected by

auscultation.

Contents
1 Technique
2 Interpretation
3 Causes
4 Other observations
5 References
6 External links

Front view of cartilages of larynx, trachea, and bronchi.

ICD-10 R09.8
(http://apps.who.int/classifications/icd10/browse/2015/en#/R09.8)

Technique

ICD-9 786.7 (http://www.icd9data.com/getICD9Code.ashx?icd9=786.7)

The patient is requested to repeat a word several times while the provider auscultates symmetrical areas of each
lung. The numbers "ninety-nine" or "sixty-six" are traditionally mentioned. The choice of "ninety-nine" is the
result of a literal translation. The test was originally described by a German physician who used the phrase
"neun und neunzig" (pronounced [nnntnnts]), which he found would cause maximum vibration of the
chest. The translation, "ninety-nine", has fewer vowels and is less effective in evoking the phenomenon.[2]
Better phrases in English include "toy boat, "Scooby Doo", and blue balloons".[2]

Interpretation
Normally, the sound of the patient's voice becomes less distinct as the auscultation moves peripherally;
bronchophony is the phenomenon of the patient's voice remaining loud at the periphery of the lungs or sounding
louder than usual over a distinct area of consolidation, such as in pneumonia. This is a valuable tool in physical
diagnosis used by medical personnel when auscultating the chest.
Often, the patient does not have to speak for the provider to hear signs of bronchophony. Rather, the normal
breath sounds are increased in loudness - referred to by doctors as "increased breath sounds" - over the affected
area of the lungs is indicative.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchophony

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Bronchophony - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

6/24/15, 1:43

Causes
Bronchophony may be caused by a solidification of lung tissue around the bronchii - which may indicate lung
cancer - or by fluid in the alveoli, which may indicate pneumonia. However, it may also have benign causes,
such as wide bronchii. As such, it is usually an indication for further investigation rather than the main basis of
a diagnosis.

Other observations
Other tools used in auscultation include listening for egophony, whispered pectoriloquy, rales, rhonchi or
wheezing. Percussion is also often used to determine diseases of the chest.

References
1. "bronchophony
(http://web.archive.org/web/20090616022448/http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands_split.jsp?
pg=/ppdocs/us/common/dorlands/dorland/two/000014745.htm)" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
2. Whispered pectoriloquy

External links
Abnormal Respiratory Vocal Sounds (http://www.mediscuss.org/respiratory-auscultation-tips-audio-mp3examples-71-page4.html)
TheFreeDictionary.com (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/bronchophony)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bronchophony&oldid=637790088"
Categories: Symptoms and signs: Respiratory system
This page was last modified on 12 December 2014, at 16:57.
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