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Brief Reports| October 20 2023

Diagnostic Utility of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Lymphocytosis in Patients with Interstitial Lung Diseases

Special Collection: Karger e-Journal Backfile Collection 2023

Subject Area: Pharmacology , Pneumology

Vasilios Tzilas;

Vasilios Tzilas

a5th Respiratory Department, Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, “Sotiria”, Athens, Greece

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Antonia Digalaki;

Antonia Digalaki

a5th Respiratory Department, Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, “Sotiria”, Athens, Greece

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Evangelos Bouros;

Evangelos Bouros

bMedical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou, Greece

dAthens Medical Center, Athens, Greece

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Eleni Avdoula;

Eleni Avdoula

bMedical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou, Greece

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Argyrios Tzouvelekis;

Argyrios Tzouvelekis

cDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece

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Demosthenes Bouros

Demosthenes Bouros *

[email protected]

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Respiration (2023) 102 (11): 944–947.

https://doi.org/10.1159/000534429

PubMed:

37866357

Abstract

Background: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are extremely challenging in terms of diagnosis. Extreme bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) lymphocytosis is thought to strongly point towards the diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). Objectives: Explore the range of different ILD that can present with BAL lymphocytosis, including cases of pronounced lymphocytosis and its diagnostic utility. Methods: Patients with ILD that were subjected to BAL were identified retrospectively from a cohort of consecutive patients. Results: BAL lymphocytosis ≥20% was recorded in 106 patients (27%), while pronounced BAL lymphocytosis ≥40% was recorded in 49 patients (12.5%). The most common diagnoses in patients with BAL lymphocytosis ≥20% and ≥40%, were HP (32.1%), connective tissue disease (CTD)-ILD (26.4%), sarcoidosis (16%), and HP (38.8%), CTD-ILD (24.5%), sarcoidosis (14.3%), respectively. Conclusions: Neither the presence nor the degree of BAL lymphocytosis can point to a specific diagnosis.

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© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel

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