Elsevier

Theriogenology

Volume 29, Issue 6, June 1988, Pages 1269-1283
Theriogenology

Use of a low-volume uterine flush for microbiologic and cytologic examination of the mare's endometrium

https://doi.org/10.1016/0093-691X(88)90007-6Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open archive

Abstract

A guarded uterine swab and a low-volume uterine flush were compared for microbiologic and cytologic examination of the endometrium of young, normal mares (n = 24) and aged, subfertile mares (n = 27). Mares from each group had clitoral sinus swabs, guarded endometrial swabs (X2), uterine flushes and endometrial biopsy samples taken for microbiologic, cytologic and histologic examination.

The guarded swab technique yielded significantly fewer (P < 0.05) microbiologic cultures with pathogenic microorganisms than the flush technique for both normal mares (024 vs 624) and subfertile mares (427 vs 1427). The swab technique also yielded significantly fewer (P < 0.05) endometrial smears with cytologic evidence of inflammation than the flush technique for subfertile mares (1227 vs 2027); however, there was no significant difference (P > 0.1) for the two techniques for cytologic results in normal mares (324 vs 724). Ureaplasma spp. were isolated from the uterine flushes (327) and clitoral sinus swabs (627) from subfertile mares. Mycoplasma spp. were isolated from the uterine flush from one subfertile mare and clitoral sinus swab from another subfertile mare. Significantly fewer (P < 0.01) normal than subfertile mares had histologic evidence of inflammation in endometrial tissue sections (524 vs 2527). Based on microbiologic and cytologic results, the low-volume uterine flush appeared superior to the guarded endometrial swab for the diagnosis of endometritis in mares.

Keywords

mare
endometritis
diagnosis
microbiology
cytology

Cited by (0)

3

Present address: Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Surgery, WOI Regional Program of Veterinary Medicine, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83843