Equine veterinary journal
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Equine veterinary journal · Jul 2016
Relationships between equine airway reactivity measured by flowmetric plethysmography and specific indicators of airway inflammation in horses with suspected inflammatory airway disease.
Agreement between airway reactivity measured by flowmetric plethysmography and histamine bronchoprovocation, and lower airway inflammation measured by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology, has not been studied in horses with suspected inflammatory airway disease (IAD). ⋯ Airway reactivity and BAL cytology did not show concordance in this population of horses presenting for unexplained poor performance and/or chronic cough. Failure to include tests of airway reactivity may lead to underdiagnosis of IAD in young Standardbred racehorses that present with clinical signs suggestive of IAD.