[Pulmonary eosinophilia in asthmatic patients: after radiography, bronchoalveolar lavage].
The technique of broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) can be used without difficulty in asthmatic patients. The authors studied 17 patients with high eosinophil counts (greater than 20 p. 100) and followed them up for 6 to 12 months. An increase in total cell counts in BAL was observed which was in direct correlation with the percentage of eosinophils; chest X-ray showed no evidence of pulmonary infiltration in any of the cases; 9 patients were steroid dependent. These observations indicate that radiological pulmonary infiltrates in asthmatic patients which is a real disease entity does not cover the whole spectrum of deep pulmonary changes in this condition. Broncho-alveolar lavage is a valuable mean of assessing the degree of local eosinophilia to compare the inflammatory disease of the distal airways with the rest of the asthmatic changes. It may contribute to a better understanding of the asthmatic syndrome; many facets of which are indeed still obscure.
Godard
P
P
Dakhil
J
J
Aubas
P
P
Michel
F B
FB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D013997:Time Factors
D007073:Immunoglobulin E
Eosinophilie pulmonaire de l'asthmatique: après la radiographie, le lavage broncho-alvéolaire.