Diagnosis of pulmonary strongyloidiasis by bronchoalveolar lavage.

Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on a patient with disseminated strongyloidiasis and 4.5 × 10 7 cells/65 ml of lavage fluid were recovered. Eighty-five percent of cells were polymorphonuclear leukocytes; 15 percent were pulmonary alveolar macrophages. Rhabditiform larvae (1 × 10 4 ) were recovered in 65 ml of lavage fluid. This is the first report of bronchoalveolar lavage used in diagnosing disseminated strongyloidiasis. (Chest 1988; 94:643-44)