Peritoneoscopy: an alternative approach to unresolved intra-abdominal disease.

Peritoneoscopy was performed in 49 patients with ill-defined intra-abdominal disease. The patients were classified into categories including inconclusive liver scans, jaundice, ascites, abdominal mass and staging for Hodgkin's disease. Visual evaluation of lesions and directed biopsies led to the correct diagnosis in 87% of the cases. In experienced hands, peritoneoscopy is a safe and useful technic and should be considered strongly in obscure intra-abdominal diseases.