Sensitivity And Specificity of Fungal Cultures from Bronchial Washing, Bronchoalveolar Lavage and Tissue Samples in Patients with Lung Infections: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction The goal of this systematic review is to assess the advantages and drawbacks of fungal cultures obtained from bronchial washings, bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) and biopsies of lung tissues in lung infections, based on studies from 2004 to 2024.

Method Using the terms ‘BAL’, ‘bronchial washings’, and ‘tissue biopsies’, 16,698 records were found in the database Emabse, BMC, Google Scholar and PubMed. After the exclusion of duplicates and irrelevant studies, only 9 studies were included in the review.

Results and Discussion The results show that the bronchoscopic methods of collecting BAL samples are quite effective in diagnosing fungal infections and that the more advanced methods such as PCR, metagenomic sequencing, and combined biomarker assays, all have high sensitivity and specificity. Indeed, these methods not only improve accuracy but also aid in precise pathogen identification, essential during treatment of high-risk patients.

Conclusion The result indicates that additional studies are required in relation to the diagnostic capabilities of ABMS and tissue washes, thus, warranting the development of standard operating procedures and techniques in bronchoscopy for patients suffering from fungal infections.