[Radiographic staging and bronchoalveolar lavage cell counts in sarcoidosis]. / Estadios radiológicos y lavado broncoalveolar en la sarcoidosis.

OBJECTIVE: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that mainly affects the lungs and lymph nodes. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is known to be useful in diagnosis of the disease but its value as a prognostic marker is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess whether there is a characteristic pattern in BAL cell counts according to radiographic stage and determine whether BAL offers information on disease course. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 34 patients with untreated sarcoidosis. Data were collected on the following variables: age, sex, smoking habit, treatment type, radiographic stage, respiratory function, serological parameters, and BAL cell counts. The patients were classified into 3 groups according to functional and radiographic change at 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: No differences in age, sex, or smoking habit were found according to either radiographic stage or disease course. Although the proportion of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was higher in radiographic stage I than in stages II and III, the differences were not statistically significant. The differences in BAL cell counts between groups based on disease course were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: No differences were found in the characteristics of BAL fluid according to radiographic stage. The differential cell count in BAL fluid does not appear to predict the course of sarcoidosis in the first 12 months.

Estadios radiológicos y lavado broncoalveolar en la sarcoidosis / Radiographic staging and bronchoalveolar lavage cell counts in sarcoidosis

Objetivo: La sarcoidosis es una enfermedad inflamatoria granulomatosa multisistémica de causa desconocida que afecta principalmente al pulmón y a los ganglios linfáticos. La utilidad del lavado broncoalveolar (LBA) en el diagnóstico es conocida, pero su valor como marcador pronóstico es controvertido. El objetivo de nuestro estudio es evaluar si existe un patrón característico en la celularidad del LBA según el estadio radiológico de presentación y determinar si el LBA aporta información sobre la evolución de la enfermedad. Pacientes y métodos: Se incluyó en el estudio a 34 pacientes con sarcoidosis no tratados. Se recogieron las siguientes variables: edad, sexo, hábito tabáquico, tipo de tratamiento, estadio radiológico, exploración funcional respiratoria, parámetros serológicos y análisis celular del LBA. Se clasificó a los pacientes en 3 grupos según la evolución funcional y radiológica a los 12 meses. Resultados: No se encontraron diferencias entre la edad, el sexo y el hábito tabáquico ni entre los estadios radiológicos ni entre los grupos según evolución. En el estadio radiológico I el recuento porcentual de linfocitos del LBA fue mayor que en los estadios II y III, pero las diferencias no fueron estadísticamente significativas. Las diferencias en el LBA por grupos evolutivos no fueron estadísticamente significativas. Conclusiones: Al analizar las características del LBA según estadios radiológicos no se encontraron diferencias. El recuento diferencial de células en el LBA no parece predecir el curso de la sarcoidosis durante los primeros 12 meses

Objective: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that mainly affects the lungs and lymph nodes. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is known to be useful in diagnosis of the disease but its value as a prognostic marker is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess whether there is a characteristic pattern in BAL cell counts according to radiographic stage and determine whether BAL offers information on disease course. Patients and methods: The study included 34 patients with untreated sarcoidosis. Data were collected on the following variables: age, sex, smoking habit, treatment type, radiographic stage, respiratory function, serological parameters, and BAL cell counts. The patients were classified into 3 groups according to functional and radiographic change at 12-month follow-up. Results: No differences in age, sex, or smoking habit were found according to either radiographic stage or disease course. Although the proportion of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was higher in radiographic stage I than in stages II and III, the differences were not statistically significant. The differences in BAL cell counts between groups based on disease course were not statistically significant. Conclusions: No differences were found in the characteristics of BAL fluid according to radiographic stage. The differential cell count in BAL fluid does not appear to predict the course of sarcoidosis in the first 12 months