From Alveoli Back to Bronchi Contributions of Bronchoalveolar and Bronchial Lavage to the Understanding of Bronchial Disease - International Workshop, Veruno, April 1990 - Respiration S.

This symposium report contains the contributions presented at an international workshop which focused on bronchoalveolar (BAL) and bronchial lavage (BL). Taking into account the fact that new applications for BAL and BL continue to be found, the workshop particularly concentrated on diseases where airway lavage presents an alternative to classical methods. Sessions devoted respectively to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and lung cancer as well as preneoplastic lesions focused on three fundamental issues: a comparison between the classical means of investigation and BAL/BL; the pathogenic relevance of the biochemical and cellular data from BL and BAL fluid analysis, and therapeutic implications.;Presenting the results of the workshop in question, this issue gives an account of current knowledge on airway lavage, which may be of great value for a better understanding of pathogenesis and the therapy of bronchial diseases.