title: Laparoscopy in the diagnosis of blunt and penetrating injuries to the abdomen.
abstract: Laparoscopy was evaluated in thirty-seven patients from a group of 132 consecutive patients who were treated for blunt or penetrating injury to the abdomen. A total of twenty-three patients underwent laparoscopy and laparotomy. The findings at laparotomy correlated with laparoscopy. Fourteen patients underwent laparoscopy only, and there were no proved false-negative results. Of the 132 patients considered for laparotomy, 118 underwent abdominal exploration. Laparotomy was considered unnecessary in twenty-five of the 118 patients (21 per cent) and in retrospect, laparoscopy could have identified in each patient the presence of a minor injury or no injury at all. Laparoscopy is a useful method for evaluating blunt and penetrating injuries to the abdomen in selected patients.
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000208:Acute Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D007583:Jejunum / Q000293:injuries; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries; D013161:Splenic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000175:diagnosis; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis