A new article in Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice discusses an “Update on Interstitial Pneumonia.” The authors note in the article that, “The course of most interstitial pneumonias is insidious with both acute and chronic forms ultimately characterized by alveolar structural derangements that lead to loss of functional gas exchange units and altered mechanical properties of the lung, characterizing these pneumonias as restrictive lung problems.”
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Key Points
- Interstitial pneumonia represents a group of acute and chronic inflammatory respiratory disease that have the potential to cause marked alveolar dmage and impairment of gas exchange within the lung in horses of all ages.
- Equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis and acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress are recognized as specific categories of interstitial pneumonia.
- Treatment of interstitial pneumonia is often unrewarding. Therapy should include suppression of inflammation, maintenance of tissue oxygen delivery, and appropriate treatment of any underlying diseases.
Authors
Pamela A. Wilkins, DVM, MS, PhD, and Kara M. Lascola, DVM, MS, Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL.
