In 70 racehorses in training (62 standardbreds and 8 thoroughbreds) with a mean age of 4.3 year old, presented for poor performance consistent with lower airway disease (cough, nasal discharge, slow exercise recovery), the diagnosis of IAD/SAID (inflammatory airway disease or small airway inflammatory disease) was aided by cytologic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). According to BALF findings, mixed IAD/SAID was diagnosed in 32 horses (45.7%), mastocitic IAD/SAID in 20 horses (28.6%), neutrophilic IAD/SAID in 11 horses (15.7%) and eosinophilic IAD/SAID in 7 horses (10%) In 70 cavalli da competizione in allenamento (62 trottatori e 8 purosangue), di eta' media pari a 4,3 anni, affetti da calo delle performance atletiche riferibile ad affezione delle basse vie respiratorie (tosse, scolo nasale, lento recupero), la diagnosi della IAD/SAID (inflammatory airway disease or small airway inflammatory disease - malattia infiammatoria delle vie respiratorie o malattia infiammatoria delle piccole vie respiratorie) e' stata integrata dall'analisi citologica del fluido di lavaggio broncoalveolare (BALF). In base ai risultati dell'analisi del BALF, e' stata diagnosticata una IAD/SAID mista in 32 cavalli (45,7%), una IAD/SAID mastocitaria in 20 cavalli (28,6%), una IAD/SAID neutrofilica in 11 cavalli (15,7%) e una IAD/SAID eosinofilica in 7 cavalli (10%)