#ascites

• Abdominocentesis — An invasive medical procedure consisting of the surgical puncturing of the abdominal wall using a trocar or needle, aimed at evacuating or analyzing fluids pathologically accumulated in the peritoneal cavity (ascites). In historical neuropsychiatric practice, the analysis of this fluid was used to differentiate true ascites from an imaginary pregnancy (pseudocyesis) or somatoform disorders with pronounced abdominal distension found in alienated patients.
• Ascites — The pathological accumulation of serous fluid (transudate or exudate) within the peritoneal cavity, manifested by a progressive increase in abdominal volume and a sensation of internal tension. This structural phenomenon frequently occurs as a major complication of liver cirrhosis, severe heart failure, kidney diseases, or certain intra-abdominal malignancies.
• Ascitic — Pertaining to ascites, relating to ascites, or caused by it; a pathological fluid accumulated in the peritoneal cavity. In a clinical sense, it describes a state or an effuent extracted from a patient's abdomen, characteristic of severe conditions such as liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, or peritoneal neoplasms.
• Ascitic — The feminine form of the adjective ascitic; it describes a reaction, a fluid accumulation, a clinical form, or a pathological manifestation closely related to the presence of ascites and fluid effusion in the peritoneal cavity.