Role of intraoperative ultrasound in the screening of liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma: Initial experiences

The aim of this study was to assess the utility of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) in the diagnosis and management of liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma. IOUS was performed on a consecutive series of 70 patients undergoing surgery for colorectal carcinoma, with follow-up ranging from 6 to 24 months. In ten cases (14.3%), 13 metastatic tumours were diagnosed; only six of these had been found by preoperative workup and/or surgical inspection. Seven (53.9%) small metastatic liver lesions were identified only by IOUS. None of the lesions diagnosed by IOUS was palpable, and they were all extremely small—ranging from 4 × 6 to 12 × 16 mm. Seventy-three locations were examined in order to compare the results of IOUS with those of other methods. The sensitivity of the former proved to be higher (P < .05) than that of conventional pre- and intraoperative screening.