[Correlation between endoscopic biopsy findings and sonograms of the abdomen in stomach cancer]

35 out of 57 patients with gastric carcinoma presented with a so called "target" pattern. In cases with distal cancer the more advanced cases with endoscopic types Borrmann III/IV showed this sign more frequently than less advanced forms, i.e. suspected early cancer, Borrmann I or Borrmann II. On the other hand in endoscopically advanced cancers Borrmann III/IV a thickening of the gastric wall was more frequent in distal than in proximal localization of carcinoma. The presence of target sign in abdominal ultrasound did, statistically, not influence gastric resection. Other findings, which were observed exclusively in gastric cancer type Borrmann III/IV, like infiltration to the surrounding (pancreas, liver), liver metastasis, and/or ascites, were decisive. Additional sonography of the abdomen is, therefore, a valuable preoperative diagnostic procedure in gastric cancer beside upper GI endoscopy and biopsy.