Hepatic perfusion changes in patients with cirrhosis indices of hepatic arterial blood flow.
OBJECTIVE
This study used radionuclide angiography to evaluate semiquantitatively the hepatic arterial blood flow changes associated with cirrhosis.


METHODS
The parameters of net arterial hepatic perfusion were estimated by analysis of first-pass flow studies in 11 control participants and in 15 patients with cirrhosis (Child-Pugh classification B-C). Hepatic, renal, and splenic time-activity curves were generated, normalized per pixel, and corrected for background. The rate of hepatic arterial blood flow was compared with the reference kidney and spleen perfusion using the hepatorenal and hepatolienal perfusion indices, respectively. These indices were defined as: PI = area under hepatic curve limited by time of the renal (splenic) curve peak/area under renal (splenic) curve to its peak


RESULTS
The values of both these perfusion indices are significantly greater in the patients with cirrhosis than in controls (hepatorenal perfusion index, P < 0.01; hepatolienal perfusion index, P < 0.05). The values of the hepatic perfusion index (the ratio of the arterial to the total liver blood flow), which were also calculated, were elevated in the patients with cirrhosis (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm that the net hepatic arterial blood flow is increased in patients with cirrhosis. Radionuclide angiography accompanied by calculation of arterial perfusion indices may provide semiquantitative parameters of net hepatic arterial blood flow.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
P
P
Koranda
M
M
Myslivecek
J
J
Erban
V
V
Seidlová
V
V
Husák
D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011875:Radionuclide Angiography / Q000379:methods; D013154:Spleen / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging