Bronchoalveolar lavage in ponies with heaves during disease remission.

Bronchoalveolar ravage (BAL) fluid was collected from control ponies and from affected ponies with heaves which were in clinical remission. Significant differences were not detected between the two groups in total nucleated cell count or relative percentages (relative cell counts) of small lymphocytes, large mononuclear cells, eosinophils, or mast cells. The mean relative neutrophil count of BAL fluid from the affected group was statistically greater than that of controls; however, the difference between the two groups was not sufficient to be of diagnostic significance.