The aim of the present study was to use endoscopic evaluation to compare the grade of accumulation of discharge in the lower airways of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and inflammatory airway disease (IAD), and to estimate the usefulness of endoscopic evaluation in differential diagnosis of these diseases. Endoscopic evaluation consists of: the amount of discharge in the lower part of the trachea and tracheal bifurcation, and the assessment of tracheal septum thickness.This study was performed on 248 horses, 10 were healthy, 97 were diagnosed as RAO, and 141were diagnosed as IAD. In all animals both a clinical and endoscopic examination were performed.During endoscopy, a score of mucus accumulation was estimated in 3/4 lower of the trachea and in the tracheal bifurcation. In addition to this, thickening of the tracheal septum was also assessed.According to the results of this study, it was estimated that the accumulation of mucus in the lower airways was much more advanced in RAO horses compared to horses with IAD. In horses with RAO there was a marked thickening of the tracheal septum compared to IAD horses.The results indicate the efficacy of scoring the amount of mucus in the tracheal lumen and tracheal bifurcation, as well as the efficacy of the assessment of tracheal septum thickness in the diagnosis of these diseases.

The aim of the present study was to compare the grade of discharge accumulation in the tracheal lumen, area of tracheal bifurcation, main bronchi and the tracheal septum thickness with the cytology of the tracheal aspirate (TA) and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in horses with recurrent airways obstruction and inflammatory airway disease from those horses. This study was conducted on 96 horses with RAO, 139 horses with IAD and 10 control horses. In all the horses, both clinical and endoscopic examinations were performed. During endoscopy, a score of mucus accumulation was estimated in 3/4 lower of the trachea and in the tracheal bifurcation. In addition, thickening of the tracheal septum was also assessed; tracheal aspirates and broncho-alveolar lavage were performed. An estimate of cell percentage was done in TA and BALF samples. In horses suffering from RAO and IAD, there was a positive correlation between the percentage of neutrophils and the accumulation of discharge, and in the IAD group, there was a negative correlation between the percentage of eosinophils and the accumulation of discharge. There was no correlation between tracheal septum thickening and the percentage of neutrophils and/or eosinophils.

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The goal of the present study was to establish the occurrence of structural disorders in the larynx and pharynx during treadmill exercise tests in horses diagnosed with Equine Asthma (EA).Investigation was performed in 29 horses, patients of the Equine Clinic of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland, admitted with poor exercise performance.Upper and lower airway examinations were performed in all patients revealing both mild to moderate Equine Asthma (13 horses), and no lower airway abnormalities (16 animals).In the group of horses with EA, 11 did not have structural disorders of the pharynx and larynx at rest. During exercise two horses were free of abnormalities, while 11 had structural disorders, eight of them solely in the pharynx, two in the larynx, and one in both the pharynx and larynx.In the non-asthmatic group, 11 horses had no structural disorders during resting endoscopy. Endoscopy performed during exercise revealed disorders of the larynx in 10 horses, of the pharynx in three horses, and in both the larynx and pharynx in the remaining three horses.In conclusion: horses with diagnosed EA frequently have disorders of the pharynx during treadmill exercise tests, while without EA, often have disorders of the larynx.Endoscopy of upper airways during exercise testing is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of poor performance in horses with lower airway inflammatory disease.