STAGING LAPAROSCOPY IN HODGKINS-DISEASE - OF EQUAL VALUE TO STAGING LAPAROTOMY

A 30-year-old man with Hodgkin's disease, stage IA, had received radio therapy to the supradiaphragmatic lymphnodes two years ago. During fol low-up observations the patient felt well, but sonography revealed thr ee tumours in the spleen. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was found to be raised to 50/75 mm. Therefore, splenectomy and staging of the o ther parts of the abdomen for histological clarification and deciding on further therapeutic action were indicated. Thus splecectomy with bi lateral liver wedge resections were performed laparoscopically, togeth er with excision of mesenteric, paraaortic and parailiac lymph nodes. The patient was discharged home on the 4th postoperative day. Histolog ical examination revealed stage IIIE hodgkin's disease. - This case de monstrates that in favourable conditions staging laparoscopy can obtai n the same information as conventional staging laparotomy, but it is m uch better tolerated by the patient.