Etiologies of Nodular Skin Lesions in Passerines: A Case Series

Nodular skin lesions often are observed in passerines presenting to wildlife rehabilitators. Although these lesions may appear grossly similar, their etiologies can be highly diverse, which confounds appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Presented here is a case series describing similar nodular skin lesions caused by avipoxvirus, aspergillosis, and follicular cysts, with the purpose of alerting rehabilitators to the variety of disease processes that can lead to grossly similar lesions and to the diagnostics available for their differentiation. Accurate diagnosis is expected to lead to more appropriate and targeted therapeutic protocols and improved prognoses.