Spontaneous hepatic and extrahepatic lesions associated with ascites syndrome in poultry

Ten cases of ascites syndrome were recorded in broilers of 1–6 weeks of age. Grossly, there was abdominal distension with fluid, mottled, fatty and shrunken livers with thickened capsule and in a few cases mild fibrinous perihepatitis. Microscopically, there were marked degenerative changes, varying degree of chronic venous congestion and acute to chronic perihepatitis alongwith fibrosis and pseudolobulation in liver. Heart, lungs, kidneys, intestine, spleen, bursa and thymus showed degenerative and inflammatory changes.