title: Diagnostic utility of bronchoalveolar lavage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a diagnostic procedure by which cells and other components from bronchial and alveolar spaces are obtained for various studies. One of the main advantages of BAL is that it can be done as a day care procedure. Material obtained by BAL can give a definite diagnosis in conditions such as infections and malignancies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims and objective of this study were to assess the utility of BAL as a diagnostic tool to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the material obtained from BAL in various infections and neoplastic lesions to study the limitations of BAL in certain lung disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was done in a tertiary care center in Hyderabad. Bronchoscopy was done as an outpatient procedure and lavage fluid obtained analyzed. This is a prospective study done from January 2012 to Jun 2013. Ninety-one BALs were analyzed for total and differential count, microbiological examination and cytological evaluation. Cases selected included nonresolving pneumonias, diffuse lung infiltrates, infiltrates in immunosuppressed hosts and ventilator-associated pneumonias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bronchoalveolar lavage was done in 91 cases over a period of 1½ years. Definite diagnosis was not given in 7 cases. Four cases were inadequate. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 22 cases, fungal infections in 7 cases. Thirty-eight cases of bacterial pneumonias were diagnosed, Klebsiella was the most common organism. Malignancy was diagnosed in 13 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Definite diagnosis can be made in tuberculosis, fungal infections, bacterial pneumonias and in malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology and Cytology, Global Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Sistla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Radha
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology and Cytology, Global Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Tameem
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Afroz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Global Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Sudheer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Global Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
authors.forename: Nallagonda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ravindra
keywords: Bronchoalveolar lavage; infections; malignancy