Prognostic value of peritoneoscopic findings in cirrhosis of the liver.

The prognostic value of peritoneoscopy was examined in 372 patients with liver cirrhosis according to the degree of development and size of regenerating nodules, the development of reddish markings, the development of small lymphatic vesicles, the presence or absence of patchy markings, the size of the right and left hepatic lobes, and the degree of splenomegaly. The cumulative survival rate was compared with these peritoneoscopic parameters. The usefulness of peritoneoscopic and histological findings in the prognosis of liver cirrhosis was evaluated using the proportional hazard model of Cox. Significant differences were observed in the cumulative survival rate with respect to the degree of development of regenerating nodules, the size of the right hepatic lobe, the formation of small lymphatic vesicles, and the degree of splenomegaly. Analysis using Cox's proportional hazard model indicated that peritoneoscopic findings are of greater clinical use than histological findings in determining the prognosis of liver cirrhosis.