EXTRAPERITONEAL PELVIOSCOPY IN STAGING OF BLADDER-CARCINOMA AND DETECTION OF PELVIC LYMPH-NODE METASTASIS

This study was carried out to examine the efficacy of extraperitoneal pelvioscopy in detecting pelvic metastasis in patients scheduled to undergo radical cystectomy without preoperative chemo- or radiotherapy. The results of pelvioscopy were compared with those obtained by laparotomy. 54 consecutive patients underwent pelvioscopy without complications. Three were technically insufficient. Lymphatic tissue was biopsied in 29 (54%). Pelvioscopy demonstrated tumor dissemination in 5 patients (9.3%): 2 had pT4b tumor, 2 pelvic nodal metastases and 1 both. The remaining 49 patients with benign pelvioscopy were scheduled for laparotomy but 7 patients did not undergo the procedure: 3 had extrapelvic metastasis, 1 bronchial carcinoma, 1 aortic aneurysm, 1 refused surgery and 1 had pulmonary insufficiency. Accordingly, 42 patients underwent open exploration which demonstrated pelvic metastasis in 11: 9 had nodal metastasis, 1 a pT4b tumor and 1 both. Consequently the sensitivity of pelvioscopy in detecting pelvic metastasis was calculated at only 31%. This result indicates that extraperitoneal pelvioscopy should be considered a screening procedure rather than an accurate staging procedure for pelvic metastasis.