COMPARISON OF LAPAROSCOPIC AND TRANSABDOMINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN STAGING OF CANCER OF THE PANCREATIC HEAD REGION

The value of laparoscopic ultrasonography in the staging of cancer of the pancreatic head region was compared prospectively to that of trans abdominal ultrasonography. Eighty patients underwent LUS, after ultras onography had shown normal Doppler findings of portal vessels and no s igns of metastatic disease. Presence of hepatic or lymph node metastas es and vascular tumor infiltration were evaluated in 74 and 48 patient s, respectively. Laparoscopic ultrasonography showed liver metastases in 10 patients (14%). Specificity and positive predictive value for th e laparoscopic technique determining vascular ingrowth were 97% and 92 %, respectively, versus 89% and 77% by sonography in patients with nor mal Doppler findings (difference not statistically significant). Lapar oscopic ultrasonography has shown improved detection of hepatic metast ases compared to sonography, but it still must prove its value, as com pared to noninvasive methods, in local staging.