Observation on intrarenal and intraperitoneal pressures in patients with tense ascites: Feasibility of unassisted ascites drainage into the urinary system

Summary

Feasibility of unassisted drainage of tense ascites into the urinary system was studied by measuring pressures in the peritoneal cavity and renal pelvis. It was done in patients with refractory debilitating non-loculated ascites due to either cirrhotic portal hypertension (n=1) or intraperitoneal spread of colon carcinoma (n= 1). The pressures were measured before, during and after ascites decompression. It was found that intrarenal pressure (a) approximated intraperitoneal, (b) changed as a function of intraperitoneal, and (c) was always between 3 and 7cm H₂O higher than intraperitoneal. Therefore, unassisted drainage of the ascitic fluid into the renal pelvis could not be achieved. Nevertheless, the obtained data may be of value for better understanding of renal physiology in tense ascites.

Keywords:

• ascites
• hypetension
• portal
• shunt
• peritoneovenous
• kidney
• interventional procedure