thing that needs to be ruled out is presence of liver cirrhosis

ETIOLOGY

Most common cause: Portal HTN secondary to chronic liver disease (80%)

Infections (TB peritonitis)

Intra-abdominal malignancy

Inflammatory disorders of the peritoneum

Ductal disruptions (chylous, pancreatic, and biliary)

EPIDEMIOLOGY

Prevalence

Ascites as a result of cirrhosis accounts for 80% of patients who present with ascites in
the US

Ascites occurs within 10 years in > 50% of those diagnosed with cirrhosis

The remaining 20% of ascites are secondary to:

Cancer (10%)

Heart failure (3%)

Pancreatitis (1%)

Tuberculosis (2%)

Other, rare causes

End-stage liver disease with poor protein synthesis

Nephrotic syndrome with protein losso Malnutrition

Protein-losing enteropathy

Note: Common among these conditions is a decrease in serum albumin.

Increased permeability of peritoneal capillaries