CYTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE IN LUNG DISEASES

Abstract

Background: The Broncho alveolar lavage (BAL) is the most widely used investigation in diagnosing uncommon lung diseases. And it is the saline wash of the bronchial tree. BAL is a minimally invasive procedure and was under mild sedation. Aim: The study aims to evaluate the cytological analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage in various lung diseases. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the pathology department of a tertiary care centre in Tamil Nadu, India, for duration of one year from June 2023 to May 2024. The patients whose clinical, radiological, and routine laboratory investigations did not confirm the diagnosis were included in the study. All the patients were subjected to bronchoalveolar lavage, and cytological analysis was done.