Hemorrhagic ascites due to congestive heart failure.

Goel, A K; Ganesan, L; Edelstein, M · Am J Gastroenterol · 1998

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

Ascites due to congestive heart failure (CHF) is characteristically serous in gross appearance. Although hemorrhage into ascites commonly indicates a malignant or inflammatory cause, cirrhosis of the liver is a well known cause of bloody ascites. We report a case of hemorrhagic ascites due to biventricular congestive heart failure in which workup for other causes was negative and hemorrhage cleared after 4 months. In as much as the mechanism of ascites is similar in both cirrhosis and CHF, we propose that a similar mechanism could cause bleeding into ascites in CHF.

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