Serum-ascites albumin difference in tuberculous peritonitis.

Recent studies have shown that the serum-ascites albumin difference provides better diagnostic discrimination than the ascites total protein concentration in the separation of "transudative" (portal hypertension) ascites and "exudative" (non-portal hypertension) ascites. Published studies to date have reported the serum-ascites albumin difference in only two patients with tuberculous ascites. We looked at the serum-ascites albumin difference in our series of patients with tuberculous peritonitis. All had a low difference (less than 1.1), similar to patients with malignancy.