The laparoscopy has been more and more frequently indicated in the last years, for the complementary diagnosis of intraabdominal diseases and abdominal repercussion of systemic diseases. Modern equipaments including videolaparoscopy and the use of either forceps or biopsy needle permit higher safety and significant diagnostic capacity. PURPOSE: To perform laparoscopy for the diagnosis of intraabdominal and sistemic diseases. METHODS: During the last 9 years 168 patients were submitted to laparoscopy and the main indications were: ascites - 43 cases (25,5%); liver diseases - 42 cases (25%); gastric cancer - 37 cases (22%); lymphoma - 17 cases (10,1%); abdominal tumour - 9 cases (5,4%); peritoneal tuberculosis - 8 cases (4,8%); liver tumour - 6 cases (3,6%); mesenteric cyst - 1 case (0,6%) and other diseases - 5 cases (3,0%). Ninety nine patients were male (58,9%) aging from 9 to 78 years old (median 47,6 years). Liver biopsies were performed in 92 cases (54,7%) and other tumour biopsies in 26 cases (15,4%). RESULTS: The diagnosis of the diseases were established or confirmed by laparoscopy in 145 patients (86,3%). In 25 cases of gastric cancer (67,5%) laparoscopy contraindicated the laparotomy, owing to advanced disease. Two patients presented bleeding (1,2%) after liver biopsies and laparotomy was immediately indicated. One of them, whose diagnosis was systemic lupus, presented abdominal abscess, bronchopneumony and died (0,6%). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy has small number of complications, and when employed as a diagnostic complementary method therapeutic procedures, avoids laparotomies and accelerate therapeutic procedures.
Laparoscopy; Intraabdominal diseases; Staging
