Useful For

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BAL):  A bronchoscopic procedure to retrieve cells and soluble substances from the lining fluid of the distal airways and alveolar units, containing immunologic components of the lung’s epithelia surface.  The bronchoscopic technique reveals specific information in disorders, such as pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, alveolar hemorrhage, or dust exposure.  Differential of cells contained in BAL, as well as subtyping of lymphocytes, has gained special importance for differential diagnosis and analysis of activity status of interstitial lung disease.