Left panel: In this tracheal wash, there are thick strands of mucus, with few enmeshed cells, except for a single streak (arrow). Closer inspection of the streak showed increased percentages of neutrophils, supporting inflammation. The horse was diagnosed with moderate asthma on a bronchoalveolar lavage, which contained more neutrophils. Right panel: The mucus in a smear of a transtracheal wash from a different horse was also stringy and thick, with a few softer portions (arrow). Note the higher cellularity, which was predominantly neutrophils with intracellular bacterial rods, indicating bacterial sepsis. Modified Wright’s stain.
