[Laparoscopic ultrasound imaging in colorectal cancer resection may increase the detection rate of small liver metastases].

Up to 20% of the patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) will have liver metastases at the time of the diagnosis, and some of these metastases may be missed during preoperative evaluation. While intraoperative ultrasound is considered the gold standard for liver evaluation during primary open CRC surgery, laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) is not performed routinely during laparoscopic CRC surgery. Based on the available literature LUS had a higher detection rate for especially small liver metastases compared to preoperative imaging modalities, but better prospective trials are needed.