The utility of bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis in the diagnosis of silicosis.

We used analytical electron microscopic techniques, including energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, to evaluate a patient with diffuse infiltrates and a history of silica exposure. We identified silica particles in digested bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, sectioned alveolar macrophages recovered by lavage, and parenchymal specimens obtained by transbronchial biopsy. This analysis confirmed our clinical suspicion (a sporadic case of accelerated silicosis) and eliminated the need for additional, more complicated, diagnostic procedures.