Abstract
The term "ascites" is derived from the ancient Greek
askos
, denoting a distended bag or balloon, and as used in current clinical practice, refers to a detectable collection of free fluid within the peritoneal space. It is one of the most common complications of advanced liver disease, and in North America and Europe it is most often encountered in association with alcoholic cirrhosis. At least 600,000 Americans (3.6 of every 1000 adults in the U.S. population) are estimated to have cirrhosis,
1
but many think this figure greatly underestimates the prevalence of the disorder. Since most patients with cirrhosis have . . .
