Sonographic staging of gastric cancer.

The sonographic images obtained in 32 patients with known gastric cancer, who were referred to sonography for evaluation of liver metastases and in whom a specific attempt was made in order to visualize the tumor, were reviewed and evaluated for the extent of exogastric neoplasm. Surgical correlation was available in 21 cases. Sonography allowed identification in five of seven patients who had distant metastases, 12 of 15 who had lymphadenopathy, and nine of 12 patients who had direct spread to structures surrounding the tumor; ascites was always correctly identified. In only one case, a false-positive diagnosis of lymph nodes metastases was made. These results indicate that sonography has good specificity in the staging of gastric cancer and that, when patients are referred for evaluation of liver metastases, it is worthwhile to gather useful additional information about tumor extent by performing a complete sonographic examination of the abdomen and pelvis and by making an attempt to visualize the primary neoplasm and its relations to surrounding organs.