Purpose of review: In developing countries, where resources are scarce, it is paramount that the clinician be familiar with the most cost-effective diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available. The fiberoptic bronchoscope is an expensive piece of equipment, but can be an economical diagnostic tool in tropical pneumonias. The role of bronchoalveolar lavage is discussed in this review.
Recent advances: Since its introduction in the 1970s, particularly in developing countries, bronchoalveolar lavage has become an important tool for diagnosis, assessing the activity and monitoring a large number of pulmonary diseases. The importance of bronchoalveolar lavage is becoming even more apparent since the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has changed the face of many pulmonary diseases, especially tropical ones.
Summary: Bronchoalveolar lavage is useful in developed and developing countries alike, for assessing many bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pulmonary diseases.