Observations on the Cytology of Tracheobronchial Secretions Collected by a New Technique

¹ The Ray Brook State Tuberculosis Hospital.

Tracheal secretions were collected from 82 patients with various pulmonary diseases by a method which permitted little contamination. Secretions from those with both infectious and noninfectious tuberculosis, blastomycosis, aspergillosis and silicosis, subphrenic abscess, pulmonary abscess, carcinoma, and various undiagnosed pulmonary conditions contained polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Grossly nonpurulent sputum always contained leukocytes, although usually not as many as purulent sputum. Squamous cells were found in a considerable number of samples, and under the conditions of this study are considered evidence of metaplasia of the bronchial mucosa. Evidence of bronchial irritation was found in 51 per cent of the patients by bronchoscopy. Only three in this series yielded no evidence of infection, carcinoma or inhalation of irritants. It appears likely that leukocytes may be found in a large proportion of tracheobronchial secretions from normal individuals.