Ascites and the anatomy of the peritoneal sacs of broilers

Although the ascites syndrome of broilers is well documented, all the authors fail to describe exactly in which of the various coelomic cavities ascitic fluid is found. Determination of the precise location of this fluid is essential if the pathogenesis of the syndrome is to be understood and explained. Post-mortem examinations were done on 100 broilers that had ascites or had died of the ascites syndrome. In all of them large quantities of fluid were found in the ventral hepatic peritoneal cavities, moderate amounts in the right dorsal hepatic peritoneal cavities and small amounts in the intestinal peritoneal and pericardial cavities. No ascitic fluid was found in the left dorsal hepatic peritoneal cavity. The amount of ascitic fluid effusing from the liver was directly proportional to the surface area of the liver in a given peritoneal cavity.