Evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology in diagnosis of lung malignancy

Background and Objective: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology is an important widely used clinical procedure to diagnosis of lung diseases. Since histologic examination of bronchial biopsy is definite method in diagnosis of malignancy, this study was done to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of BAL cytology in comparison with bronchial biopsy. Methods: To determine its value in diagnosis of lung cancer, it was reviewed 348 samples (BAL cytology combined with bronchial biopsy) from 331 patients over period of 12 years, in pathology department of Shahid Beheshti hospital in Babol. Findings: One hundred and fourteen malignant cases were isolated from 331 patients. Of these cases. 57 were determined by both methods, 39 cases in biopsy samples alone, and 18 cases only by BAL cytology. Conclusion: The sensitivity and specifity for BAL cytology were 60% and 92%, respectively that is valuable and reproducible in comparison with the other studies