Ascites - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

Ascites is a pathological accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity; this causes the appearance of abdominal swelling and a sense of tension.

Ascites can result from different conditions. The most common cause is portal hypertension, usually related to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases. Therefore, the ascitic fluid can derive from the altered exchange of liquids with the portal vein (transudate), but also from an inflammatory process (exudate). In any case, the result is the pouring of liquids into the abdominal cavity.

Other hepatic-related liver disorders include chronic hepatitis and Budd-Chiari syndrome, ie obstruction of the hepatic vein.

Non-hepatic conditions that cause ascites, on the other hand, include tumors of the abdominal organs (primitive and metastasis), peritoneal carcinosis, infectious peritonitis and generalized water retention associated with systemic diseases (eg heart failure, nephrotic syndrome and severe hypoalbuminemia).

Less frequent causes include pancreatitis and some endocrine diseases, such as myxedema.

The most serious complications of ascites involve the possibility of infections of the ascitic fluid (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) and the hepatorenal syndrome.