Bronchoalveolar lavage in the cat: cytological findings.

Cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage from the lungs of specific pathogen-free (SPF) cats from birth to maturity and from adult conventional cats were enumerated and identified. The predominant cell type recovered was the pulmonary alveolar macrophage from all ages of both SPF and conventional cats. Other cell types included eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes. Lavage of conventional cats yielded significantly more eosinophils and neutrophils than were recovered from SPF cats.