[Utility of angiography in the diagnosis and localization of hepatic carcinomas]

In the field of malignant primitive hepatic tumours, the use of ultrasonic methods and C.A.T. has made a considerable contribution to diagnosis and topographical localisation of such tumours. In addition, hepatic biopsy supplies the histological diagnosis. However it is only by angiography that it is possible to evaluate the involvement of the lobes and segments, supplying the character of invasiveness or otherwise of the lesion through demonstration of the arterial peduncle, and thus giving the surgeon the essential elements for a therapeutic approach. Furthermore, in the case of a monofocal lesion, it is only angiography that can establish the usefulness or otherwise of surgical therapy (William M. - Richard P. J. - Philip C. G. - Robert C. Lim, 1979). The purpose of the work is to examine the angiographic readings, which allow: 1) a diagnosis of hepatic expansive formation to be made, with definition of its nature (bening or malignant); 2) the growth character of the lesion to be characterised through evaluation of the involvement of the vascular structures.