Sunday November 1, 2009

Q: When the ascites is defined as Chylous?

Answer: True chylous ascites is defined as the presence of ascitic fluid with high fat (triglyceride) content, usually higher than 110 mg/dL.

In adults, chylous ascites is associated most frequently with malignant conditions like lymphomas and disseminated carcinomas from primaries in the pancreas, breast, colon, prostate, ovary, testes, and kidney. Tuberculosis, can infrequently be associated with chylous ascites.

Abdominal surgery is a common cause of chylous ascites. The surgical procedures most frequently associated with chylous ascites are resection of abdominal aortic aneurysm and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.