[Hepatic Doppler perfusion index--a sensitive screening method for detecting liver metastases?].
The sonographic measurement of the Doppler perfusion index (DPI)--the ratio of blood flow in the hepatic artery to total liver blood flow--has been suggested to represent a method of detecting even small liver metastases.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the DPI measurement in our patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer, gastric and bronchial carcinoma.


METHODS
36 patients with liver metastases were compared to 21 control subjects. The hepatic arterial and portal venous blood flows were calculated from the product of the average velocity of flow and the cross-sectional lumen of the vessel. Each measurement was performed three times by two independent examiners.


RESULTS
Patients with metastases had a significantly higher hepatic blood flow and a significantly higher DPI (p = 0.0004; M +/- SD 0.23 +/- 0.11; r 0.06-0.52) compared with controls (M +/- SD 0.14 +/- 0.06, r. 0.05-0.26). No significant difference was seen in the portal vein blood flow. The DPI-values measured by the two examiners differed by 25.98% +/- 23.20.


CONCLUSIONS
DPI values in patients with liver metastases differ from those in control subjects due to an increased hepatic arterial blood flow. No clear separation of the two groups was possible because DPI values overlapped. The inter observer agreement in DPI seems clinically acceptable.
Krüger
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Medizinische Klinik I mit Poliklinik, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. DrSusanneKrueger@aol.com
Strobel
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D
Wehler
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M
Wein
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A
Hahn
E G
EG
Becker
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D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler