EQUINE PULMONARY-DISEASE - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF 300 REFERRED CASES.1. EXAMINATION TECHNIQUES, DIAGNOSTIC-CRITERIA AND DIAGNOSES

Three-hundred adult horses, referred from 1990 to 1993 inclusively, fo r pulmonary examination were assessed using standardised history takin g and clinical, intrapleural pressure, arterial blood gases and pH, br onchoscopic and tracheal and broncho;alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cyto logical examinations, Two-hundred and thirty-five cases were referred with overt signs of pulmonary disease and the remaining 65 cases were referred for pulmonary examination because of reduced exercise (usuall y racing) performance or prolonged dyspnoea after racing. No pulmonary disease was detected in 30 cases. The 270 horses with pulmonary disea se included 148 cases (54.8%) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 45 (16.7%) of infectious or post infectious pulmonary disease , 7 (2.6%) of Streptococcus zooepidemicus pulmonary infection, 7 (2.6% ) of lungworm infection, 16 (5.9%) of primary exercise induced pulmona ry haemorrhage (EIPH), 9 (3.3%) of chronic idiopathic hypoxaemia, 20 ( 7.4%) of miscellaneous identified pulmonary disorders and 18 (6.7%) of undifferentiated pulmonary disorders, Two cases of primary summer ass ociated obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD) were observed, but 9.5% of COPD affected horses additionally suffered from SPAOPD.