Utility of bronchoalveolar lavage in cytology; a study at tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Numerous case reports have shown the advantage of using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in cytologic diagnosis of primary and secondary malign ant neoplasm of the respiratory system. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of BAL in the diagnosis of malignant and non malignant lesions o f the lower respiratory tract. Material & Method: A retrospective analysis of 13 cases of BAL fluid r eceived at cytology department was analyzed for its utility in diagnosi ng and its usefulness for confirming the diagnosis. Result: From 13 cases 3 cases were found to be positive for mali gnant cells.Male to female ratio was 4:1. Age distr ibution varied between 18years to 80 years. Conclusion: BAL proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool in dete cting malignant and non malignant lesions.