ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Several studies to evaluate the accuracy of galactomannan (GM) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as a diagnostic tool have been carried out; however, there are still controversies about the optimal cut-off point of BALF GM. AIMS: The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy and the optimal cut-off point on BALF GM from patients with suspected invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 188 patients (≥18 years) that had undergone a bronchoscopy with BAL due to suspected IPA was carried out. IPA was diagnosed according to the EORTC/MSG guidelines. RESULTS: The optimal optical density cut-off point for BALF GM was 0.67, with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 100%, 70%, 32.3%, and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BALF GM detection proved to be a useful supplementary technique in the early diagnosis of IPA in both neutropenic and non-neutropenic patients.
