title: Assessment of splanchnic blood flow in alcohol and drug abuse using radionuclide angiography.
abstract: Computerized radionuclide angiography (RA) is a noninvasive, quantitative, reproducible, and cost-effective method for measuring the portal venous fraction of total hepatic blood flow (represented by the Hepatic Perfusion Index, HPI), and also can be utilized to detect hemodynamic abnormalities in the spleen. A group of 105 men (aged 20-56) were evaluated at the time of admission to the Substance Abuse Program at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. These patients were classified into three groups: (a) alcohol dependence or abuse (Group A, n = 54); (b) polysubstance abuse without alcohol (Group B, n = 9); and (c) polysubstance abuse with alcohol (Group C, n = 42). Of the respective groups, 69%, 100%, and 79% had abnormal splanchnic flow (liver and/or spleen), whereas only 43%, 78%, and 48% had abnormal liver function tests. This method may be a sensitive, noninvasive detector of early pathophysiological changes in the splanchnic organs of alcohol and drug abusers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA 30322.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarper
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Faraj
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Tarcan
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Chandora
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lenton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011168:Portal System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects; D011875:Radionuclide Angiography; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013154:Spleen / Q000098:blood supply; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D003042:Cocaine