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Objective: The diagnosis of sarcoidosis is challenging at most times, requiring a search for less-invasive, more reliable diagnostic methods. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis has been used in the differential diagnosis of sarcoidosis for many years with a wide sensitivity and specificity rates. The objective of the study is to investigate whether diagnostic performance of BALF analysis is altered by clinicoradiological findings of sarcoidosis patients.
Material and Methods: The present study is a retrospective, single center, observational study designed in a sarcoidosis outpatient clinic in a training hospital. Patients who had undergone BAL procedure at diagnosis were included in the study. Demographics, clinical and detailed chest X-ray and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings at diagnosis were recorded. According to diagnostic performance, BALF results were Grouped as `diagnostic` and `non-diagnostic` and recorded parameters were compared between the Groups.
Results: Of all the 257 patients’ BALF analysis, the mean lymphocyte ratio was 41±17.5 (5-80) and the mean CD4/CD8 was 5.5±4.7 (0.1-24.7). BALF analysis was diagnostic in 56 % (n=145). Diagnostic performance of the procedure did not correlate with any of the demographics, smoking status,spirometric findings, chest X-ray staging, HRCT findings and tomography scoring. Extra-pulmonary involvement was significantly more frequent in diagnostic group (66% vs. 34%, P=0.006).
Conclusion: BALF results signal sarcoidosis in more than half of the patients. The diagnostic role of BALF is greater in patients with extra-pulmonary involvement.
Cite this article as: Tokgöz Akyıl F, Ağca M, Öztürk H, et al. Correlation between the Diagnostic Yield from the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Analysis and Clinicoradiological Findings in Sarcoidosis. Turk Thorac J 2020; 21(1):21-6.