Cytological and bacteriological findings in guttural pouch lavages of clinically normal horses

Percutaneous washes of the guttural pouches were obtained from two groups o f 15 clinically normal horses, one lightly exercised and the other heavily exercised. Microbiological and cytological studies showed a wide variation in the differential cell counts. The cytological pattern of the normal lava ges (<5 per cent neutrophils) was characterized by a large proportion of ci liated columnar epithelial cells a few non-ciliated cuboidal epithelial cel ls, and less than 1 per cent monocytes, lymphocytes, and eosinophils. Abnor mal lavages (with more than 5 per cent neutrophils) had higher levels of ba cterial growth than normal lavages. There were significant differences betw een the bacterial growth and total cell count and also between the neutroph il contents of the lavages-from the two groups of horses.