SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF THE PATHOMORPHOLOGY OF THE DISTAL AIRWAYS AND ALVEOLAR REGION IN THE GOAT

Four goats with respiratory disorders were examined in the present stu dy, two were diagnosed during routine ante-mortem inspection, one at p ost-mortem (PM) and the other was referred in the department. Samples were taken from the lung parenchyma to include bronchioles (small and terminal), respiratory branchioles, alveolar ducts and alveolar membra ne. Samples were routinely prepared for light microscopy (LM) and scan ning electron microscopy (SEM). Changes revealed by SEM included: poor ciliation of the bronchioles, luminal surfaces of the alveoli being c overed by secretions in the form of amorphous sheets, engorged blood c apillaries, accumulation of flocculent materials in the lumina of bron chioles and respiratory bronchioles and the increase in the number of Type II pneumocytes, in addition to the collapse of apical protuberanc es of the nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cells. A thorough discuss ion of these changes is provided. It is concluded that SEM can reveal changes that could not be determined by other conventional methods alt hough it can not replace them. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.