Malignant and benign tumours of liver--problems of diagnostics, treatment and complications

Non-invasive diagnostics development, and particularly introduction of ultrasound to everyday medical practice contributed to early detection of tumour lesions in the liver. The aim of the research was to analyse the patients with tumour lesions of livers in the north-eastern region of Poland. 325 patients with tumour lesions in livers underwent surgical treatment between year 1978 and 2000. In 197 patients metastatic malignant tumours were found in livers, while in 24 cases--primary malignant neoplasms of the organ. In the remaining cases benign tumours, mostly non-parasitic cysts were found. Out of 325 patients, who were surgically treated, 80 underwent resection procedures of liver parenchyma with tumour, 17--enucleation of tumour lesion with the enclosing capsula, 14--abscess drainage with necrotic mass evacuation. In 11 cases of non-parasitic as well as parasitic cysts fenestration was performed due to high risk of surgery, while in the remaining patients laparotomy was only performed and segments for histopathologic examination were taken due to the progression of the neoplasmatic disease. In the patients who had undergone resections of liver parenchyma in the postoperative course we noted complications such as: prolonged cholerrhagia from peritoneal cavity, stress duodenal ulcers complicated by bleeding, bleeding from liver parenchyma at the section line, jaundice as well as cisterns of fluid at the parenchyma section line. Mortality in the patients after the resection procedures of liver in our material was 7.5%. The development of diagnostics contributed to early detection and surgical treatment of tumour lesions of liver. The observation of our patients showed that resection procedures in benign tumours lead to complete recovery, while in malignant lesions--to clearly prolonged survival.