Radiografia torácica, lavado broncoalveolar e exames complementares em gatos com doença pulmonar e aelurostrongilose

The objective of the study was to compare, through bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), chest radiography, blood count, blood serum biochemistry and fecal parasitological examination (EPF) the presence of lung disease caused by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. BAL samples were processed for cytology, bacterial culture, bacterial sensitivity profile, fungal culture and parasitological examination. 21 cats were classified according to clinical symptoms. The results were: in BAL 87% of patients presented transient hypoxemia; 95% had radiographic changes, 81% with a bronchial pattern, 9% interstitial, 5% micronodular, 5% without radiographic changes; 30% had eosinophilia; 19% presented larvae of A. abstrusus by the Baermann method and were negative in the BAL analysis. Bacterial culture of BAL showed 14% with Pasteurella sp. and 5% with Proteus sp. and fungal culture was negative. The association of more than one method for diagnosing bronchopulmonary disease in cats increases the probability of an assertive diagnosis.