Lipiodol avidity of neuroendocrine liver metastases.
OBJECTIVE
Lipiodol has been shown to concentrate in most hepatocellular carcinomas as well as in some liver metastases, including those of neuroendocrine origin. Our aim was to determine the proportion of neuroendocrine liver metastases that take up lipiodol and to identify tumour characteristics that predict avidity.


METHODS
Avidity was assessed in 12 patients with neuroendocrine liver metastases by performing an abdominal CT scan immediately after selective hepatic arterial injection of 5 ml of unlabelled lipiodol and this was correlated with number and size of lesions as well as angiographic and plain CT scan features.


RESULTS
In seven patients the tumours displayed lipiodol avidity (four solitary, three multiple); five patients had non-avid lesions (all multiple). A large dominant liver tumour was the only predictor of avidity (mean diameter of largest lesion 9 cm vs. 3 cm for patients with non-avid tumours: P=0.01). Avidity was not related to vascularity or CT density of lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Although this is a small study, it would appear that approximately 50% of neuroendocrine liver metastases selectively concentrate lipiodol, which could have implications for targeted cancer therapy.
Hewitt
P M
PM
University Department of Surgery, St George Hospital and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Glenn
D W
DW
Seifert
J K
JK
Morris
D L
DL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007459:Iodized Oil / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D007459:Iodized Oil