[Value of selective pulmonary lavage under fibroscopic control in alveolar proteinosis]

The authors report the case of a 43 years old male with severe alveolar proteinosis : after failure of various treatments, they attempted a pulmonary lavage, using a fiberscope. The instrument was directed towards each lobar bronchus, one after the other, with a total of 20 lavages during a period of 4 months. A saline isotonic solution was imposed through the fiberscope then collected using air vacuum. The results were satisfactory, this patient living his normal life since july 1976. The clinical, radiological, biological data remain normal on April 1978.