Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) are commonly reported causes of impaired performance in racehorses. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a sensitive diagnostic tool; however, multiple procedures are described for its realization, and the impact on subsequent interpretation is currently unknown. Also, cut off values used for the different cell proportions are still not consensually accepted. The objectives of the scientific project were to 1) determine theinfluence of BAL methodology and diagnostic criteria on both cytological profiles and diagnosis obtained, 2) determine the prevalence, association with performance and incidence of EIPH and IAD in a population of French Standardbreds in training. To achieve these objectives, two prospective observational studies (respectively 138 and 30 horses) and one longitudinal study (15 horses) were performed. They are presented in this abstract.
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