[Laparoscopy and laparoscopic echography in the diagnosis and staging of gastrointestinal carcinomas]

The clinical relevance of laparoscopy (LS) and laparoscopic echography (LSEG) in diagnosing and staging gastrointestinal carcinomas is assayed in the light of diagnostic methods in current use. The study covers 257 patients undergoing LS, and 23-LSEG. For the purpose a rigid 7.5 MHz echolaparoscopic probe is used. In 16 per cent of the cases LS fails to resolve the basic diagnostic problems faced, whereas in 35 per cent it alters completely the preliminary clinical diagnosis. In over 90 per cent of cases LSEG supplements or modifies the laparoscopic diagnosis. Emphasis is laid on the role played by LSEG in defining the loco-regional stage of gastric and colorectal carcinomas, as well as on the contribution of the method to establish pancreatic carcinomas not lending themselves to resection. What is more, LSEG demonstrates inoperable cases by detecting small, unsuspected metastases, not prominating above the hepatic surface.