[Laparoscopic diagnosis of intra-abdominal metastases of extra-abdominal tumors]

In 67 of 227 patients endoscopy revealed intraabdominal metastases or extensive cancer dissemination. Endoscopic findings made it possible to reject surgery in 35 patients and to recommend but not extensive palliative operations in 38 patients. The remaining 154 patients were subjected to radical operations. Laparoscopy was shown to be a valuable diagnostic method permitting to support to pinpoint further and, in a number of cases to detect abdominal metastases, thus obviating the need for extensive and unnecessary operations in many cases. The data obtained in laparoscopy are comprehensive and precise, their diagnostic value being not inferior to those obtained during the operation.