title: Correlation between angiographically assessed vascularity and blood flow in hepatic metastases in patients with colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The correlation between vascularity and blood flow in hepatic metastases in patients with colorectal carcinoma was studied in 22 metastatic liver tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatic metastases were categorized into Grades A-C, in order of increasing vascularity, as determined by hepatic angiography. Of the 22 metastatic liver tumors from 15 patients that showed on angiography, 5 tumors had slightly increased tumor vascularization (Grade A), 10 tumors had vascularization similar to normal (Grade B), and 7 tumors showed decreased vascularization relative to liver parenchyma (Grade C). Blood flow in these metastatic liver tumors was calculated quantitatively by positron emission tomography (PET) scanning using the C(15)O(2) steady-state method and the H(2)(15)O dynamic method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the H(2)(15)O method, blood flow value in Grade A tumors was 52.9 +/- 17.0 mL per 100 g per minute (mean +/- standard error), that in Grade B tumors was 35.7 +/- 3.8 mL per 100 g per minute, and that in Grade C tumors was 31.7 +/- 6.6 mL per 100 g per minute.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant difference was found between blood flows in Grade A metastatic liver tumors and Grade B or C tumors (P < 0.002). There was no significant difference between blood flows in Grade B and C tumors. PET scan quantification results were almost parallel with the angiographic results. Even Grade C tumors had sufficient blood flow, about 32 mL per 100 g per minute on dynamic PET scans. These findings suggest that blood flow in hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma is greater than generally is believed.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. aki-yamaguchi@mrg.biglobe.ne.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kunishima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010104:Oxygen Radioisotopes; D011875:Radionuclide Angiography / Q000379:methods; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D010104:Oxygen Radioisotopes