Clinical evaluation of preoperative liver scintigraphy in gastric carcinoma patients.

The surgical and liver scintigraphic findings were compared for evaluation of preoperative diagnostic value in 150 cases of gastric carcinoma with extension to the muscularis and serosa. There was correlation in 90 per cent of the cases, with a false negative rate of 16 per cent, and a false positive rate of 6.6 per cent. Liver metastases were detected in 89 per cent, when the liver was palpable, compared to 75 per cent in those with nonpalpable livers. Four of the 150 cases had small scintigraphically undetectable metastatic foci. Although search for liver metastases at laparotomy may be inconclusive in confirming the presence of metastases, our scintigraphic detection rate correlated closely with the surgical findings. Preoperative liver scintigraphy is therefore considered to be of great diagnostic value.