Bronchial Washings for Cytology Test in Mumbai

Cytology of pulmonary lesions provides valuable diagnostic information by non/minimally invasive procedures. It may be a valuable investigation in situations where biopsy procedure cannot be attempted due to high risk of haemorrhage. The cytological methods presently available for studying the lung pathology are exfoliative (induced sputum), abrasive cytology (bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL], bronchial brushing [BB], bronchial washing and percutaneous/endobronchial fine-needle aspiration cytology). Cell yield in a BB is better than aspirate and washing. However, wash technique samples out the areas beyond the reach of the brush. BAL was introduced as a therapeutic measure to clear alveolar spaces filled with secretion in alveolar proteinosis and bronchial asthma. It was later utilized for diagnostic pulmonary cytology providing a high accuracy rate. Bronchial wash cytology is a widely accepted safe, simple, and minimally invasive technique to evaluate cell morphology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of bronchial wash cytology in the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary lesions and assess the role of morphometry in categorizing dysplastic/malignant lesions.