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Bronchoalveolar Lavage: Cytology

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Diagnostic and Interventional Bronchoscopy in Children

Part of the book series: Respiratory Medicine ((RM))

Abstract

Cell counts and the cytologic assessment of specific cell types are helpful in determining whether fluid obtained from a bronchoalveolar lavage procedure is an adequate representation of the alveolar spaces and whether it has a markedly abnormal distribution of inflammatory cells. Artifacts of the procedure may include abundant squamous cells, oral flora, or airway mucous. Markedly elevated levels of specific inflammatory cell types such as eosinophils or lymphocytes are abnormal but rarely specific for a given process since this procedure does not provide a specific localization within intact tissue. Prussian blue stain for iron may be performed to quantify hemosiderin-laden macrophages, present in any disorder resulting in blood in the alveolar spaces. Oil-red-O stain may be elevated in many pediatric patients with lung disease and does not distinguish between exogenous lipid and endogenous lipid. Gomori methenamine silver stain highlights fungal and bacterial organisms but does not distinguish between oral flora, colonization and true infection. Rarely other stains such as Periodic acid-Schiff may be performed to characterize extracellular material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Jennifer Pogoriler

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  1. Jennifer Pogoriler
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Correspondence to Jennifer Pogoriler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Samuel Goldfarb

  2. Division of Pulmonary Medicine & Center for Pediatric Airway Disorders, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Joseph Piccione

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Pogoriler, J. (2021). Bronchoalveolar Lavage: Cytology. In: Goldfarb, S., Piccione, J. (eds) Diagnostic and Interventional Bronchoscopy in Children. Respiratory Medicine. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54924-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54924-4_8

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-54923-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-54924-4

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