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

Background: Numerous case reports have shown the advantage of using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in cytologic diagnosis of primary and secondary malignant 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 of the lower respiratory tract. Material & Method: A retrospective analysis of 13 cases of BAL fluid received at cytology department was analyzed for its utility in diagnosing and its usefulness for confirming the diagnosis. Result: From 13 cases 3 cases were found to be positive for malignant cells.Male to female ratio was 4:1. Age distribution varied between 18years to 80 years. Conclusion: BAL proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool in detecting malignant and non malignant lesions