[Diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL)--the comparative study with open lung biopsy and BAL]

Since the introduction of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) by Reynolds, et al. in 1974, this method has gained widespread use as a diagnostic tool in interstitial lung diseases. BAL is a safe means of retrieving cells from the distal airway and alveoli for cytological, immunocytochemical and biochemical examination, although there is still controversy on the significance of the finding and it is a subject of current research. We made a comparative study of the results of open lung biopsy and BAL analysis. In our study, the results of these two methods showed an almost parallel relationship with a few exceptional cases.