Diagnostic utility of bronchoalveolar lavage, a study of 373 consecutive cases.

Sharma Khila Nath; Sharma Chandra Prasad

Volume : IV, Issue : XII, December - 2015

Diagnostic utility of bronchoalveolar lavage, a study of 373 consecutive cases.

Sharma Khila Nath, Sharma Chandra Prasad

Abstract :

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a diagnostic procedure by which cells and other components from onchial and alveolar spaces are obtained for various studies. One of the main advantages of BAL is that it can be done as a day care procedure. Material obtained by BAL can give a definite diagnosis in conditions such as infections and malignancies. The aims and objective of this study were to assess the utility of BAL as a diagnostic tool to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the material obtained from BAL in various infections and neoplastic lesions. This study was done in a multispeciality Hospital, in Siliguri West Bengal. Bronchoscopy was done asan outpatient procedure and lavage fluid obtained was analyzed. This is a prospective study done from June 2013 to April 2015. 373 BALs were analyzed for total and differential count, microbiological examination and cytological evaluation. Cases selected included nonresolving pneumonias, diffuse lung infiltrates, lung masses, infiltrates in immunosuppressed hosts and ventilator-associated pneumonias. Though, Tuberculosis & Malignancy were diagnosed in 95 (25.46%) & 64 (12.33%) cases respectively, definite diagnosis was not given in 228 (61.1%) cases. In total 41 cases of bacterial pneumonias were diagnosed, Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common organism found in this study (31.71%). Definite diagnosis can be made in tuberculosis, fungal infections, bacterial pneumonias and malignancies.