Clinical signs, evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and assessment of pulmonary function in horses with inflammatory respiratory disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association among clinical signs, results of cytologic evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and measures of pulmonary function in horses with inflammatory respiratory disease.


METHODS
9 healthy horses, 5 horses with inflammatory airway disease (IAD), and 9 horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
Clinical examination, lung function tests, and BAL were performed on each horse.


RESULTS
Standard lung mechanics of horses with exacerbated COPD differed significantly from those of healthy horses; however, there were few differences among horses with IAD, horses with COPD during remission, and healthy horses. Most variables for forced expiration (FE) in horses with COPD or IAD differed significantly from those for healthy horses. Results of clinical examination had low to moderate sensitivity and predictive values for a diagnosis of COPD (range, 67 to 80%). Results of FE tests had high sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for a diagnosis of COPD (79 to 100%), and results of standard lung mechanics tests had low sensitivity and predictive values (22 to 69%). Percentage of neutrophils in BAL fluid was highly sensitive (100%) but moderately specific (64%) for a diagnosis of COPD.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical examination is moderately accurate for establishing a diagnosis of COPD. Forced expiration tests can specifically detect early signs of airway obstruction in horses with COPD and IAD that may otherwise be inapparent. Cytologic evaluation of BAL fluid allows early detection of inflammatory respiratory disease, but it is not specific for COPD.
Couëtil
L L
LL
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Rosenthal
F S
FS
DeNicola
D B
DB
Chilcoat
C D
CD
D000818:Animals; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000662:veterinary; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005540:Forced Expiratory Flow Rates; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006736:Horses; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric