Tobacco Effects, Bronchial Hyperreactivity and Chronic Airflow Obstruction on Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)

It is known that bronchoscopy (FBS), with pertinent examination methods, is considered useful to diagnose many respiratory pathologies. Particularly, BAL is considered an important additional method to FBS, much used in diagnosis, because of its rapidity of execution, absence of important side effects and good tolerability (1) (2). During BAL it is possible that an insufficient recovery of lavage fluid occurs, particularly in patients suffering from COPD, for many causes (degree of bronchial obstruction, bronchial hyperreactivity [BH], mucus and its reology characteristics, mucosal oedema, bronchial malacia) as eventual in COPD suffering patients (3) (4) (5).