Pathophysiology and treatment of ascites in cirrhosis.

Ascites is the most frequent complication in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. In these patients, the onset of ascites indicates a profound impairment of hepatic and renal function and splanchnic and systemic hemodynamics and is therefore associated with a poor prognosis, the probability of survival at one and five years being of about 50 and 20 per cent, respectively. In patients with cirrhosis and ascites, parameters estimating splanchnic and systemic hemodynamics and renal function are better prognostic indicators than those currently used to evaluate liver function.