Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan , Iran
2 Department of Radiology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Skin research center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Assistance professor of Radiology , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science,Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital,Tehran,Iran
Abstract
Background and Objective
The abnormal buildup of fluid in the peritoneal cavity is known as ascites. It is practically crucial to evaluate the characteristics of ascitic fluid in order to distinguish its etiology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the properties of tapped ascitic fluid in the Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital’s interventional radiology department from 2019 to 2022.
Material and method
We gathered the medical records of ascites patients who had paracentesis in the interventional radiology unit for this retrospective descriptive-analytical analysis. Age, gender, ascitic fluid’s total protein and albumin levels, white and red blood cell counts, and fluid culture outcomes were among the variables under investigation. Transudate and exudate fluid were distinguished using the serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG).
Results
Patients were 54.8 years old on average (SD = 14.4). Malignancies were the leading cause of ascites (32.04%), followed by heart failure (7.04%) and liver cirrhosis (16.9%). 8.06% of patients had a positive ascitic fluid culture, while 91.93% had a negative one. Patients with malignancies had SAAG levels below 1.1 g/dL, whereas those with cirrhosis and heart failure had SAAG levels above 1.1 g/dL.
Conclusion
In the population under study, cirrhosis and cancer were the most frequent causes of ascites. While combining SAAG with additional diagnostic techniques improves accuracy, SAAG is still a useful tool for distinguishing between transudative and exudative ascites.
Keywords
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