Why do patients with cirrhosis develop ascites?

Ascites in patients with cirrhosis is typically a complication. Liver cirrhosis leads to increased pressure in the intestinal veins and impairs the liver’s ability to excrete fluid properly, resulting in ascites. Hepatic disease causes deterioration of hepatocytes, leading to portal hypertension, which in turn causes abdominal fluid accumulation (ascites) and splenomegaly—these are the primary mechanisms underlying the development of hepatic ascites.