In a 68-year-old woman with cirrhosis of the liver an attempt was made to treat the intractable ascites by a peritoneal-jugular shunt. In the course of the two-week continuous reinfusion of ascites a disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) developed which made a ligation of the shunt necessary. After ligation the fibrinogen and platelets rose to normal levels. To evaluate the relationship of the DIC to the continuous reinfusion of ascites, a coagulation profile of the ascitic fluid of a number of patients was performed. It could be demonstrated that the procoagulant activities and factors inhibiting coagulation varied widely although, in some cases, procoagulant factors predominated. Furthermore, in the ascitic fluid of the one patient described in detail activation of the contact factor could be shown following implantation of the shunt. The results of these investigations suggest that in future candidates for a Le Veen shunt, in vitro clotting tests should be performed of the ascitic fluid and a probatory reinfusion of a large amount of ascitic fluid with a parallel evaluation of the most important clotting parameters. A patient at risk to develop DIC following the insertion of a Le Veen shunt perhaps could thus be recognized prior to such a procedure.