Improved preoperative tumor staging by 5-aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence laparoscopy.
BACKGROUND
We report our data in 35 patients who underwent preoperative conventional and fluorescence-based staging laparoscopy. We use the data to address the questions of whether fluorescence examination increases the yield of metastatic lesions and alters treatment intervention.


METHODS
Fluorescence laparoscopy was successfully performed in 30 patients with GI malignancies. After sensitization with 5-aminolevulinic acid, conventional white-light mode and fluorescence-light laparoscopies were sequentially performed. A suspected malignancy was biopsied.


METHODS
In 5 patients, examinations were incomplete because of adhesions. In 9 of 10 patients, hepatic or peritoneal metastases were detected by white-light examination. In 4 of these 9, blue-light examination yielded more metastatic lesions. In one patient with no lesions by white- or blue-light examination, surgery revealed hepatic metastasis in a location not accessible to laparoscopic examination. In 18 patients, surgery confirmed the absence of metastatic lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
A fluorescence, blue-light examination yielded more lesions than the conventional white-light examination but did not alter treatment intervention and did not enhance yield when metastatic lesion is in an inaccessible location. Continued research should focus on whether treatment intervention will be altered by the fluorescence examination.
Zöpf
Thomas
T
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Schneider
Arne R J
AR
Weickert
Uwe
U
Riemann
Juergen F
JF
Arnold
Joachim C
JC
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary
D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid