Functional CT with an experimental intravascular contrast agent in the assessment of liver vascular physiology.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated liver vascular physiology with a functional spiral computed tomography (CT) technique and an intravascular contrast agent.


METHODS
Eleven rabbits were studied by means of continuous 40-second single-section data acquisition after bolus injection of an experimental contrast agent. Sequential images were reconstructed at 200-msec intervals. Aortic, portal and hepatic venous, and liver time-HU curves were obtained. From these, hepatic blood volume and flow, tissue transit times, and arterial and portal contributions to total liver blood supply were assessed.


RESULTS
The following measures were obtained: hepatic blood volume fraction, 0.33 +/- 0.03 (mean +/- standard error); total flow, 241.1 mL/min +/- 33.6 per 100 g of tissue (arterial component, 11.3 mL/min +/- 3.0 per 100 g of tissue; portal component, 226.4 mL/min +/- 30.7 per 100 g of tissue); arterial transit time, 8.7 seconds +/- 1.6; portal transit time, 8.7 seconds +/- 1.3; arterial to portal perfusion ratio, 0.06 +/- 0.01; and calculated arterial and portal perfusion indexes, 0.05 +/- 0.01 and 0.95 +/- 0.01, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Functional CT is a promising, high-resolution tomographic imaging technique for evaluating liver perfusion.
Halavaara
J T
JT
Center of Imaging and Pharmaceutical Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown 02129, USA.
Hamberg
L M
LM
Leong
F S
FS
Hunter
G J
GJ
Gazelle
G S
GS
Wolf
G L
GL
D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D003973:Diatrizoate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D011168:Portal System / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D003973:Diatrizoate; C089670:ethyl diatrizoate