[Idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis: correlation of the clinical, roentgenologic, hematologic, serologic and functional findings with cell distribution in bronchoalveolar lavage].

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in patients with diffuse idiopathic interstitial fibrosis showed a high increase in the relative number of neutrophils and a moderate increase in the relative number of lymphocytes. The relative number of neutrophils and lymphocytes found on BAL did not correlate with duration of the disease, nor with the normal to pathological auscultatory findings, nor the chest X-ray appearance of reticulonodular densities with or without alveolar filling, nor with the haematological and serological findings (moderate to high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), normal to pathological alpha 1, alpha 2 and beta globulin and LDH), nor with the moderate to high reduction in vital capacity and pulmonary compliance. Examination of the BAL cellular distribution is a useful supplement to the determination of conventional parameters in the diagnosis of diffuse idiopathic interstitial fibrosis.