[Correlation of clinical, roentgenologic and functional findings with cell distribution in bronchoalveolar lavage]

Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in patients with sarcoidosis revealed a high relative lymphocyte count (28.4 +/- 22.4%), a manifestation of lymphocytic alveolitis. The extent of this alveolitis does not correspond with the clinical findings (symptomatic and asymptomatic patients), nor the chest radiological findings (with or without pulmonary involvement), nor the pulmonary function tests (normal or reduced vital capacity, FEV1 and compliance). A very high relative number of lymphocytes can be found in symptomatic patients with extrapulmonary manifestation of the disease. Clinical, radiological and functional findings in sarcoidosis do not reflect the extent of the lymphocytic alveolitis. Hence, distribution analysis of the cells obtained on bronchoalveolar lavage supplements the usual diagnostic investigations in patients with sarcoidosis.