The correlation between cytological examination of ascitic fluid and serum ascites albumin gradient in the differential diagnosis of Ascites

Abstract

Aim: The accumulation of fluid in pathological quantities in the peritoneal cavity is called ascites. In every newly diagnosed ascites, necessary investigations should be conducted by puncturing ascitic fluid. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there is any correlation between cytological examination of ascitic fluid and serum ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) in the determination of etiologic causes of ascites. Material and Method: The files of the patients who were admitted to our clinic for the investigation of their ascites etiology between May 2014 and May 2018, were analyzed retrospectively. Pathology reports of the patients whose SAAG was calculated by taking the difference between serum albumin values and simultaneously taken ascitic fluid albumin and whose ascitic fluid cytology examination was performed, were recorded. The data of 248 patients with clinical diagnosis were included in the study. Patients with SAAG