Rectal 13N-ammonia test (13N-liver/heart ratio), hepatic sinusoidal pressure and prevailing portal flow direction in cirrhosis of the liver.
The 20 minutes' liver/heart activity ratio after rectal administration of 13N-ammonia was abnormally low (less than 2.25) in 12 of 26 patients with cirrhosis of the liver. An abnormal conventional rectal arterial ammonia test (porta-systemic shunts), an abnormally low urea index (prevailing hepatofugal portal venous flow direction), marked portal hypertension (hepatic sinusoidal pressure greater than or equal to 8 mm Hg), ascites and extreme enlargement of the spleen occurred significantly more often in the patients with an abnormally low 13N-liver/heart ratio than in those with a ratio greater than or equal to 2.25. There was no correlation between the 13N-liver/heart ratio and absence or presence of oesophageal varices. The non-invasive rectal 13N-ammonia test appears to be an easy to perform, informative test in cirrhosis of the liver.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000641:Ammonia; D001201:Ascites; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D011168:Portal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013667:Technetium
D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D013667:Technetium; D000641:Ammonia