Bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial biopsy in spondyloarthropathies.
Fourteen patients (12 men, 2 women) with spondyloarthropathies underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), transbronchial biopsy (TBB) and other respiratory investigations. BAL revealed lymphocytosis and increased nonaltered neutrophil polynuclears in a smoker and an isolated lymphocytosis in one patient with restrictive syndrome and radiographic apical fibrosis. TBB showed interstitial fibrosis in the 2 patients and in 3 others who are all nonsmokers and among whom 2 had a restrictive syndrome. Subclinical alveolitis in spondyloarthropathies is absent. Interstitial fibrosis is not rare and its frequent association in a restrictive syndrome suggests a mechanical origin.
Kchir
M M
MM
Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Charles Nicolle, Institut de Pneumo Physiologie de l'Ariana, Tunisie.
Mtimet
S
S
Kochbati
S
S
Zouari
R
R
Ayed
M
M
Gharbi
T
T
Hila
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*