• Dropsy can be caused by any condition that causes osmoregulatory dysfunction. • Tissue damage to the gills, heart, liver, or kidneys may result in organ failure, disruption of normal osmoregulation, and development of edema and/or ascites. • Systemic bacterial infection (Aeromonas, mycobacteriosis, etc.) is one of the most common causes of dropsy in ornamental fish. • Viral and parasitic infections can cause dropsy. • Differential diagnoses include other causes of abdominal distention such as neoplasia, egg binding, granulomas, cysts (e.g., polycystic kidney disease), and obesity. In these cases, abdominal distention is due to mass effect, not to fluid accumulation/edema. Some of these differentials may cause organ dysfunction and may result in dropsy. • Ectoparasites may cause elevated scales; however, fish with ectoparasites do not typically have bilaterally symmetric scale elevation or abdominal distention.
Dropsy
Basic Information
Etiology and Pathophysiology
Diagnosis
Differential Diagnosis
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Dropsy
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