Diagnosis

Ascites may not be clinically detectable when present in small volumes. In larger volumes, the classic findings of ascites are a distended abdomen with a fluid thrill or shifting dullness. Ascites must be differentiated from abdominal distension due to other causes such as obesity, pregnancy, gaseous distension of bowel, bladder distension, cysts, and tumours. Tense ascites may cause appreciable discomfort, difficulty in breathing, eversion of the umbilicus, herniae, and scrotal oedema. Rapid onset of ascites in patients with cirrhosis may be due to gastrointestinal haemorrhage, infection, portal venous thrombosis, or the development of a hepatocellular carcinoma. Ascites can also develop during a period of heavy alcohol misuse or excessive sodium intake in food or drugs. Ultrasonography is used to confirm the presence of minimal ascites and guide diagnostic paracentesis.