Endobronchial lavage for the diagnosis and treatment of alveolar proteinosis has been used with apparent success (1, 2). Ramirez-R., Kieffer, and Ball (1) have suggested that endobronchial lavage might be useful in any condition where there is an "abnormal accumulation of material in bronchioles and alveoli," such as alveolar microlithiasis, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, hyaline membrane disease, chemical pneumonias, certain types of viral pneumonias, unremittent bronchial asthma, and bronchiolectasis. A controversy (3, 4), however, has arisen over the possibility of damage to normal lung tissue by saline introduced in this fashion. Several studies (5, 6) reported no long-term adverse effect of