title: Value of ascitic fluid ferritin in the differential diagnosis of malignant ascites.
abstract: The ascitic fluid ferritin concentrations were compared with serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG), in their diagnostic ability for detection of malignancy in 60 patients with ascites: 29 with chronic liver disease alone (CLD) and 31 patients with various neoplasms. Of the patients with malignancy, 12 had liver metastases, 9 had no evidence of liver involvement, and 10 had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with or without coexisting liver cirrhosis. Analysis of our data confirms that the ascitic ferritin is a more accurate indicator of malignant ascites (MA) than the SAAG. This new parameter is particularly helpful in distinguishing MA associated with HCC and/or metastatic liver disease from nonmalignant ascites due to CLD alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aristotelian University, Ippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kountouras
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boura
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsapas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Charisis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Magoula
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsakiri
mesh_terms: D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D005293:Ferritins