[Bronchoalveolar lavage data in localized pulmonary tuberculosis].

Twenty-two patients with radiologically localised pulmonary tuberculosis underwent one or more broncho-alveolar lavages: 10 patients had a single lavage in the disease area, 11 had two lavages (1 in a healthy zone and 1 in the affected zone) and 1 patient had a triple lavage. The laboratory analysis of the fluid revealed that the tuberculosis was accompanied by an elevation of the various proteins assayed and by an alteration in the cytology (lymphocytosis, neutrophilia or mixed) in the radiologically involved zone. In contrast,the healthy zone revealed normal values except in 2 cases which presented a lymphocytosis. The type of cytological abnormality does not appear to have any prognostic value, but is probably related to different pathophysiological mechanisms.