title: [Laboratorial tests in pulmonary diseases]
abstract: OBJECTIVE: The authors present a review about the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases, with special emphasis on laboratorial procedures. METHODS: The most important articles about laboratorial procedures were selected through Medline search. RESULTS: To diagnose pulmonary diseases we need to evaluate clinical history, laboratorial tests, several radiografic techniques, bronchoscopy, thoracentesis and lung biopsy among others. We present the main laboratorial tests which include the clinical tests and pulmonary function evaluation to diagnose these diseases. CONCLUSION: The laboratorial tests are part of pulmonary tests diagnosis. The obtained results should be associated with clinical history and the other diagnostic methods.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mallozi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rozov