Abstract
We devised a gauge for measuring hardness of the liver (Fig. 2, 3) which can indicate hardness of the liver with numerical values. As this gauge can pass through an outer cannula of a Vim-Silverman needle, we can easily use this gauge at peritoneoscopic exam-ination. Handling of this gauge, as shown in Fig. 4, is so easy that we can read the value in a few minutes. As a pilot lamp is put on immediately after the tip of this gauge touches the liver surface, we can measure hardness of the liver in a constant condition. The hardness of the liver measured by this gauge correlated well with peritoneoscopic findings (Fig. 18) and histologic findings (Fig. 19). In general, the value of hardness of the liver becomes lower as lobular distortion progresses. The lowest value was shown in liver cirrhosis. As mentioned above, this gauge was very useful to measure hardness of the liver and to study pathophysiology of diseases of the liver.
