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

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Abstract
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.