Bilateral whole lung lavage in pulmonary alveolar proteinosis--a retrospective study

Whole lung lavage (WLL) is the gold standard technique for the treatment of Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP). In this paper we evaluated and discuss bilateral WLL, namely the procedure work-up and the therapeutic efficacy. Six bilateral WLL performed through a careful adherence to a modified Royal Brompton Hospital (London) technique were carried out without major complications and were associated with clinical and functional improvement of the PAP patients submitted to this procedure. As there are benefits in terms of time, patient comfort and cost effectiveness compared to unilateral WLL, associated with the efficacy and safety observed, bilateral WLL seems to be a suitable first choice for therapeutic lavage in PAP patients.