Comparison of transtracheal aspirate and bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in 50 horses with chronic lung disease.
Abstract: Comparisons were made between transtracheal aspirate (TTA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology obtained from 50 horses with chronic lung disease and from 10 control horses. There was no significant correlation between the TTA cytology and the BAL cytology, suggesting that the cell population in the trachea is not representative of the cell population in the lower airways. In control horses the range of differential cell counts obtained from TTA fluid was remarkably large, whereas the variability in cell populations observed in BAL fluid was smaller. In the principal horses the total and differential cell counts of the TTA and BAL fluids were within the 95 per cent confidence interval in 38 and 24 per cent of cases, respectively; and an increase in percentage neutrophils was most common. It was concluded that BAL may be a useful diagnostic aid when evaluating horses with chronic lung disease, but that the clinical usefulness of cytological evaluations of TTA fluid may be limited in these cases.
Publication Date: 1989-01-01 PubMed ID: 2920696DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1989.tb02084.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article explores the differences between transtracheal aspirate (TTA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology in diagnosing chronic lung disease in horses. The study finds that cell population in the trachea is not representative of those in the lower airways, suggesting that BAL may be more useful than TTA in evaluating horses with chronic lung disease.
Study Design and Participants
- The study involved 50 horses with chronic lung disease and 10 healthy control horses.
- Both the transtracheal aspirate (TTA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology tests were performed on all the participants.
Comparison of TTA and BAL Cytology
- The researchers found no significant correlation between TTA and BAL cytology, indicating that the cell populations in the trachea may not reflect those in the lower airways.
- In the control group, the range of differential cell counts from TTA fluid was remarkably larger than the variability in cell populations observed in BAL fluid.
Details of TTA and BAL Fluids in Principals
- For the horses with chronic lung disease, the total and differential cell counts of both TTA and BAL fluids fell within the 95 per cent confidence interval in 38 and 24 per cent of cases, respectively.
- Also, there was a common increase in percentage neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) in these horses.
Implications and Conclusions
- This study suggests that BAL may be a more effective diagnostic tool when evaluating horses with chronic lung disease, as it provides a more representative sample of the lower airways than TTA.
- Conversely, the clinical usefulness of TTA fluid cytology may be somewhat limited in diagnosing chronic lung disease in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Derksen FJ, Brown CM, Sonea I, Darien BJ, Robinson NE.
(1989).
Comparison of transtracheal aspirate and bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in 50 horses with chronic lung disease.
Equine Vet J, 21(1), 23-26.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1989.tb02084.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
- Bronchoscopy / veterinary
- Cell Count / veterinary
- Chronic Disease
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Lung Diseases / diagnosis
- Lung Diseases / pathology
- Lung Diseases / veterinary
- Lymphocytes
- Macrophages
- Neutrophils
- Regression Analysis
- Suction / veterinary
- Trachea / pathology
Citations
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- Poole DC, Erickson HH. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage: where are we now?. Vet Med (Auckl) 2016;7:133-148.
- Rossi H, Virtala AM, Raekallio M, Rahkonen E, Rajamäki MM, Mykkänen A. Comparison of Tracheal Wash and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology in 154 Horses With and Without Respiratory Signs in a Referral Hospital Over 2009-2015. Front Vet Sci 2018;5:61.
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