The place of the bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease: a descriptive and qualitative study.

Background: Interstitial lung disease represents a challenge and consists in more than 200 entities. Their diagnoses are assessed through a multidisciplinary approach including pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists and biologists. BAL analysis is useful mainly when clinical and radiological findings aren't suggestive of an etiology.

[Which technique should be used in the phenotyping of lymphocytic alveolitis: Immunocytochemistry or flow cytometry].

Background: Diffuse interstitial pneumonias are considered as a group of multiple affections characterized by challenging diagnoses because of the lack of specific clinical signs. Radiologic investigations highlight the diagnoses in most of the cases but bronchoalveolar lavage plays a key role in the diagnostic diagram. We aim to compare the immunocytochemical technique and the flow cytometry in the phenotyping of lymphocytic alveolitis.

The diagnostic importance of the bronchoalveolar lavage in lymphocytic alveolitis.

Multidisciplinary concertation is mandatory in order to assess interstitial pneumonias. The study of the bronchoalveolar lavage helps evoking a diagnosis according to the lavage profile. In lymphocytic alveolitis, immunocytochemistry, or in flux cytometry are necessary in order to identify the different clusters of lymphocytes implicated.

Cytological smears and cell blocks on endobronchial aspirates complement each other and allow a higher diagnostic yield.

The accurate diagnosis of lung carcinoma has become compulsory especially after the introduction of new target therapies. Most of the patients are non operable. This fact points out the diagnostic importance of the cytology specimen.

The efficacy of bronchial washings in diagnosis of lung carcinoma.

Background: The accurate diagnosis of lung carcinoma has become compulsory, especially after the introduction of new targeted therapies. The majority of these patients are non-operable, highlighting the importance of the cytology specimen. Our aim was to assess the diagnostic efficacy of bronchial washings in low income countries where this low cost technique is widely performed.