06 April 2025
: Case report 
Delayed Diagnosis of Peritoneal Mesothelioma in Recurrent Ascites: A Case Report
Challenging differential diagnosis
Hafiz Javed1ABEF, Arfa Ahmad1ADEF, Abdul Rehman
1ABDEF*, Michael Wagner2BD, John E. McKnight3ADEF
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.946777
Am J Case Rep 2025; 26:e946777
Table 1. Results of ascitic fluid analysis on first abdominal paracentesis.
| Ascitic fluid parameter | Result | Reference range |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Hazy yellow | Clear yellow |
| Nucleated cells | <300 cells/µL | |
| Lymphocytes | 87% | -- |
| Erythrocytes | <5 cells/μL | |
| Lactate dehydrogenase | <400 IU/L | |
| Total protein | 4.0 g/dL | <4.1 g/dL |
| Albumin | 1.7 g/dL | 0.31–1.77 g/dL |
| Glucose | 70–100 mg/dL | |
| Serum albumin-ascites gradient (SAAG) | 0.4 g/dL | ≥1.1 g/dL suggests portal hypertension-related ascites |
| Cytology | No malignant cells identified | -- |
| Gram-strain | Negative | Negative |
| Bacterial culture | No growth | No growth |
| AFB smear | Negative | Negative |
| AFB culture | No growth | No growth |
| Fungal culture | No growth | No growth |
| AFB – acid-fast bacilli. | ||