[Cytologic and immunocytologic findings in bronchoalveolar lavage as a contribution to the differential diagnosis of chronic lung hemorrhage].

In the present paper, the results of cytological and immunocytological investigations of the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid obtained from 13 patients with pulmonary haemorrhage were studied for their differential-diagnostic usefulness. Five patients each were suffering from idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis (IPH) and the Goodpasture syndrome (GPS), one patient had a Wegener's granulomatosis, and two patients presented with vasculitis (VA) which was not amenable to further histological characterization. Parameters that proved particularly suitable for differentiation were the total cell count, the number of haemosiderin-positive macrophages, the extent of the expression of the transferrin receptor (OKT 9) on the macrophages, and the relationship of OKT 4 and OKT 8-positive lymphocytes.