Serum B-type natriuretic peptide in the initial workup of patients with new onset ascites: a diagnostic accuracy study.

Unlabelled: Heart failure (HF) is, after cirrhosis, the second-most common cause of ascites. Serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) plays an important role in the diagnosis of HF. Therefore, we hypothesized that BNP would be useful in the differential diagnosis of ascites.