Small-diameter (2 mm) laparoscopy in the evaluation of liver disease

Background: Percutaneous liver biopsy fails to demonstrate cirrhosis in approximately 32% of cases when compared with laparoscopy with liver biopsy. The aim of this study is to determine the usefulness of small-diameter (2 mm) laparoscopes compared with larger laparoscopes. Methods: Patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for various liver diseases were evaluated with small- diameter (2 mm) laparoscopes either alone or in combination with a 5 or 10 mm laparoscope. Results: Twenty patients were enrolled in this study. Small- diameter laparoscopes provided appropriate visualization of the abdominal organs and proper guidance to liver biopsy in 9 cases. In the remaining 11 cases a larger laparoscope was used for the following reasons: short length of the trocar/introducer in a morbidly obese patient (1), liver mass located in the anterosuperior aspect of the liver precluding good visualization with forward lenses (1), and inability to properly visualize the anterosuperior aspect of the liver (9). No complications were noted with the use of the small-diameter laparoscopes alone. Conclusion: There is a need for an oblique-viewing minilaparoscope that allows visualization comparable to the larger laparoscopes.