[The diagnosis of liver cirrhosis: a comparative evaluation of standard laparoscopy, mini-laparoscopy and histology].

Background: The superiority of laparoscopy with guided biopsy over biopsy alone is established. It is still uncertain if this is also true for midi-/ and mini-laparoscopy.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic gain of laparoscopic-guided biopsy for standard laparoscopy and the use of midi-/mini-laparoscopies. Characteristics of the liver biopsies were investigated with regard to a missed diagnosis of cirrhosis.
Methods: In a consecutive series of 425 patients clinical, laparoscopic and histological findings were investigated. The length and fragmentation of the liver biopsies were investigated with regard to a missed diagnosis of cirrhosis.
Results: The sensitivity of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of cirrhosis was 96 %, that of histology 68 %. The sensitivity of histology alone was especially low in macronodular cirrhosis. The sensitivity of both laparoscopy and histology improved from Child A to C. When cirrhosis was apparent, liver biopsies were shorter and more frequently fragmented. However, the diagnosis of cirrhosis was independent of these parameters.
Conclusion: Mini-laparoscopy may replace standard laparoscopy and appears to be superior compared with histology alone.