Abstract
Background: Suspicious lesions in the lung on radiology need further evaluation. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a simple diagnostic procedure which can be done on an outpatient basis. Cells obtained from bronchial and alveolar spaces can give a definite diagnosis in cases of malignancies and infections.Materials and methods: This is a prospective study done in Department of Pathology, K.S.Hegde Medical Academy between June 2014 and June 2015. 47 patients underwent BAL out of which 33 patients underwent simultaneous bronchoscopic biopsy. BAL fluid was centrifuged immediately and 4 smears were made from the sediment. Biopsy specimens were sent to the histopathology lab in 10% formalin.Results: Of the 47 patients who underwent BAL, 18 patients had benign lesions and 22 cases were malignant. 7 cases were inadequate for diagnosis. Among the 47 patients only 33 patients had a conclusive histopathological diagnosis. Out of this 33 patients, 15 cases diagnosed as benign on BAL . however on correlation with histopathology 7 were found to be malignant. Malignant cases on BAL were proved by histopathological examination(HPE). Overall efficacy for diagnosing malignant lesions in our study showed a sensitivity of 72%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 53.3%.Conclusion: BAL shows good sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in diagnosing lung lesions. Benign cases needs to be confirmed by biopsy. Thus a combination of both BAL and HPE is always beneficial. DOI: 10.21276/APALM.1525
Highlights
Suspicious lung lesions must undergo further evaluation.[1]
47 patients underwent Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid examination, bronchoscopic biopsy was done in only 33 patients
Among the 33 patients who underwent both BAL and histopathological examination (HPE), 18 cases were found to be malignant on BAL which was confirmed by biopsy
Summary
Suspicious lung lesions must undergo further evaluation.[1] Bronchoalveolar lavage is a low cost diagnostic procedure which can be done on an outpatient basis. It is a well tolerated and relatively safe investigation where saline wash of the bronchial tree is done to obtain cells for evaluation. It was first introduced in 1970 and became a diagnostic tool in india in the year 1994.[2] Biopsy is a rapid, sensitive and inexpensive prodecure for diagnosing benign and malignant lesions.[3] Bronchoscopic biopsies are taken with the help of a flexible biopsy needle and provide a confirmatory diagnosis. Cells obtained from bronchial and alveolar spaces can give a definite diagnosis in cases of malignancies and infections
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
