[Histopathological diagnosis of diffuse interstitial lung diseases]

The histopathological diagnosis of chronic diffuse infiltrative lung diseases rests on elements provided by bronchoalveolar lavage, fibroscopic transbronchial biopsy and, less frequently, surgical lung biopsy. The microscopic study sometimes leads to an accurate diagnosis that fits with the clinical context, but in other cases the morphological evaluation is purely lesional and must be discussed in the light of clinical, radiological and functional data.