[Intraoperative diagnosis of incipient stomach cancer]

A combination procedure of surgical fibrogastroscopy was employed for diagnosis of incipient gastric carcinoma. It involved a routine examination of the mucosa, transillumination (examination in transmitted light) and endoscopy of the illuminated surgically-exposed stomach, with the endoscope's ligh being switched off. The study conducted in 24 patients with incipient carcinoma showed the effectiveness of the said diagnostic procedure in identifying foci of such lesions, their anatomic pattern as well as the extent of involvement of different layers of the stomach wall, submucosal and serous muscular layer.