TRANSRECTAL AND TRANSVAGINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN THE PREOPERATIVE STAGING OF RECTAL-CARCINOMA

To evaluate the diagnostic ability of transrectal and transvaginal ult rasonography (TRUS and TVUS), 132 patients with rectal carcinoma were examined. Analysis of the data obtained has shown that the high qualit y of endosonographic imaging allows the performance of detailed stagin g of rectal carcinoma. In the great majority of patients (91%) the sta ging was carried out correctly. Neoplastic invasion was overstaged in only five cases and understaged in another five cases. Altered pararec tal lymph nodes could be visualized by endosonographic examination in 54.5% of patients.