Use of bronchoalveolar lavage in immunocompromised children with pneumonia

Because pneumonia in the immunocompromised host presents a diagnostic dilemma to the pediatrician, we prospectively studied the use of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) with flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy in 14 immunocompromised children with pneumonia over a 5-month period. The children received immunosuppressive agents because of organ transplants, cancer, or systemic lupus erythematosus. A diagnosis was made by BAL in 10 (71%) of the 14 children. Pathogenic organisms included Pneumocystis carinii in six, cytomegalovirus (CMV) in two, Aspergillus fumigatus in one, and a mixed infection of Candida albicans and CMV in one. There were no complications. Because BAL by flexible fiber-optic bronchoscopy is a rapid and safe procedure and a diagnosis can be made in a majority of cases, we recommend its use in immunocompromised children with pneumonia before resorting to lung biopsy.