Bronchoalveolar lavage. Still useful in diagnosing sarcoidosis?
BALF parameters, if evaluated as a diagnostic or prognostic tool, should be based on a full understanding of the clinical profiles and course of pulmonary sarcoidosis. The various markers that have been reported so far are unreliable in determining the prognosis, although BALF lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 ratios are still useful for diagnosing sarcoidosis. It is critical to find feasible markers that relate to a change in disease activity and prognosis, because markers of chronicity may be different from those of progressively worsening sarcoidosis.
Nagai
S
S
Chest Disease Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan.
Izumi
T
T
D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity