Peritoneoscopy for the diagnosis of left lobe lesions of the liver.

Peritoneoscopy and direct-vision liver biopsy are simple, safe, and accurate methods for the documentation of focal lesions predominantly involving the left lobe of the liver or the left portion of the right lobe. Focal lesions of the left lobe of the liver constitute a major indication for peritoneoscopy and direct-vision biopsy of the liver when its use is not contraindicated and when blind percutaneous biopsy or biopsies and cytologic examination have failed to establish the diagnosis.