Changes in hepatic parenchymal blood flow with colorectal metastases: increase in arterial and decrease in portal blood flow.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the changes in arterial and portal blood flow in the non-tumorous liver parenchyma in the presence of colorectal hepatic metastases using the H(2)15O dynamic positron emission tomography method.


METHODS
Thirty-eight patients were classified into colorectal hepatic metastases (MET), hemangioma (HEM), and no liver tumor (NR) groups. We quantitatively measured arterial blood flow and portal blood flow in each anatomical segment of the non-tumorous liver parenchyma.


RESULTS
In the MET, HEM and NR groups, the non-tumorous arterial blood flow was 39.89, 32.77 and 28.85 mL/100 g/minute. Each non-tumorous portal blood flow was 71.61, 100.39 and 94 mL/100 g/minute. We observed a significant difference in arterial blood flow between MET and NR (p = 0.0296), although there was no significant difference in total blood flow among three groups. In MET, we discovered a significant correlation between tumor and non-tumorous arterial blood flow in the liver parenchyma (r = 0.7120, p = 0.0209). Non-tumorous arterial blood flow and PBF were 39.07 and 62.74 mL/100 g/minute in the segment with metastases, and 41.95 and 66.23 mL/100 g/minute without metastases. There were no significant differences in any blood flow between those with and without metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of hepatic metastases increased arterial blood flow with a compensatory decrease in portal blood flow within the non-tumorous liver parenchyma, irrespective of the number, location and size of the metastatic lesions.
Department of Surgery, Kyoto Kizugawa Hospital, Hirakawa, Jouyou City, Kyoto, 610-0101, Japan. ken_kunishima@mta.biglobe.ne.jp
Satoshi
S
Kunishima
Hiroki
H
Taniguchi
Akihiro
A
Yamaguchi
Toshimori
T
Koh
Hisakazu
H
Yamagishi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011168:Portal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013154:Spleen / Q000098:blood supply