Dropsy

Dropsy. In this condition there is an accumulation of thin watery fluid in the tissues and serous sacs (pleura, peritoneum, etc.) of the body. A general dropsy, i.e. where the whole of the subcutaneous tissues throughout the body are involved is spoken of as Anasarca; when the accumulation of fluid is confined to the peritoneal cavity the condition is called Ascites. Disease of the heart, Bright's disease, and emphysema of the lungs are causes of general dropsy (anasarca). In heart disease the waterlogging of the tissues is apt in the first instance to affect the most dependent parts, notably the legs. Later, ascites, pleural effusion and oedema of the upper extremities, trunk, and face supervene. The dropsy associated with certain forms of disease of the liver commonly commences as ascites, the swelling of the legs and other parts being a symptom of later development, The conjunctiva is one of the earliest sites involved in dropsy due to renal disease, leading to "puffiness of the eyelids."