Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: The present study was undertaken for comparing the results of bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy. Materials & methods: A total of 50 specimens of bronchoalveolar lavage submitted for cytological examination and all the specimens of transbronchial lung biopsy submitted for histopathological examination were included in the study. The BAL fluid was collected in containers that didn’t promoted cell adherence to container surfaces. Transbronchial specimens received were fixed in 10% buffered formalin. After fixation the specimen were subjected to gross examination for size and external appearance. Multiple pieces taken and they were processed. H and E staining of the sections were done. All the results were recorded in Microsoft excel sheet and were analysed by SPSS software. Results: Sensitivity and specificity of BAL for assessing malignant lesions was 70.5 percent and 86.8 percent respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of BAL for assessing non-malignant lesions was 82.3 percent and 73.5 percent respectively. Conclusion: From the above results, the authors conclude that the combination of these two methods gives not only a quantitative, but also a qualitative increase in the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy. Key words: Bronchoalveolar lavage, Transbronchial lung biopsy