Surgical Management and Histopathology of Wen Overgrowth and Neoplasia in Four Oranda Goldfish (carassius Auratus)

The wen is a cap of gelatinous soft tissue that extends over the head and face of many varieties of fancy goldfish (Carassius auratus). Here, we describe the surgical management and histopathology of four fish with proliferative wen lesions. All fish were anesthetized for debulking or biopsy of the affected wen. One fish was diagnosed with wen hyperplasia, one fish was diagnosed with wen hyperplasia with a concurrent spindle cell neoplasm, and two fish were diagnosed with epithelial neoplasms of the wen, including a carcinoma arising within a papilloma and an epidermal papilloma with spindle cell and hyalinized matrix proliferation. This is the first published report of neoplasia in the wen of fancy goldfish (Carassius auratus). Regular evaluation of the wen during routine physical examinations may allow for biopsy of wen lesions, leading to early diagnosis and treatment interventions.