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[Explorative laparotomy with splenectomy in malignant lymphomas (author's transl)]

Acta Chirurgica Belgica
|November 1, 1975
PubMed

Between January 1, 1971 and February 1, 1974, 31 patients have undergone laparotomy for staging of a malignant lymphoma, Hobgkin or not. Laparotomy consisted in a median incision, above and below the umbilicus allowing multiple node biopsies, hepatic and splenic biopsies. In 17 cases out of 31, i.e. 54% preoperative clinical stage was changed by this explorative pathology. Among untreated cases, the most frequent change was from a low to a higher stage and inversely, among treated cases, most frequent changes were from plus towards minus. Postoperative mortality is nill and morbidity 5/31, i.e. 16%. This technique yields better definition of the degree of lymphoma extension, in particular intra-abdominal, and thus allows better treatment. The author thus commends explorative laparotomy with splenectomy for all malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin or not, except for stage IV, proven biopsy.

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