The prognostic significance of a battery of clinical, laboratory, histological and perioneoscopic indicators was assessed in relation to the 10-year survival rate in 190 patients with liver cirrhosis. The diagnosis was confirmed morphologically by peritoneoscopy and liver biopsy between January 1971 and March 1983. All patients were followed up until death or until the end of the study in March 1984.
Three clinical, six laboratory, five histological and ten peritoneoscopic variables at diagnosis were analysed. The subjects were separated into two or three subgroups based upon data in these variables.
The cumulative survival rate was calculated in each subgroup by the life table method. The statistical significance of the difference in survival rates was compared by the Greenwood method.
The results are summarized as follows;
1) The 5-year and 10-year survival rates in 190 patients with cirrhosis were 56.7±4.4% and 27.4±7.1%, respectively.
2) Ascites and moderate to large esophageal varices indicated a smaller number of survivals.
3) Among the laboratory tests, low serum albumin (<3.4/dl), low cholinesterase (<2.8μMSH), and high ICG retention rate (29%≤) indicated a smaller number of survivals.
4) The survival rates decreased in patients with right liver lobe atrophy, spherical nodules or marked intra-abdominal collaterales on peritoneoscopy.
In conclusion, a prognosis of liver cirrhosis can be predicted based upon some of the clinical and laboratory variables mentioned above. It is also suggested that peritoneoscopy can offer prognostic information in addition to its diagnostic significance.