Refractory Ascites: Pathogenesis, Clinical Impact, and Management.

Refractory ascites is defined as ascites that does not recede or that recurs shortly after therapeutic paracentesis, despite sodium restriction and diuretic treatment. To date, there is no approved medical therapy specifically for refractory ascites. Management of these patients is based upon procedures such as large-volume paracentesis and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS), which temporarily alleviate symptoms but are not curative. These patients have a poor prognosis and are at risk for a series of complications that are associated with the condition or are secondary to therapy. The most common complications include spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic hydrothorax, spontaneous bacterial empyema, and umbilical hernia. The predicted survival rate is as low as 50% at 1 year, and prognosis worsens as patients present with comorbidities such as hepatorenal syndrome, renal failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The only curative treatment is liver transplantation, though current studies have shown that TIPS also increases survival.