Evaluation of cirrhotic liver with perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging: a preliminary experimental study in animal models with half-liver cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluation of cirrhotic liver.


METHODS
With a 4F catheter, 1% diluted carbon tetrachloride (1 ml/kg) was selectively injected into right or left hepatic artery of 12 dogs fortnightly. The half liver into which carbon tetrachloride was injected was called as study side (SS), while the other half liver without carbon tetrachloride injection was called as study control side (SCS). Conventional and perfusion-weighted MRI were performed in every 4 weeks. Via a 4F catheter, 5ml gadolinium diethylentriamine pentaaceti acid (Gd-DTPA) dilution was injected into superior mesenteric artery at the 5th scan. The signal intensity-time curves of SS, SCS, and portal vein were completed in MR workstation. The maximal relative signal increase (MRSI), peak time (tp), and slope of the curves were measured.


RESULTS
On conventional MR images, no abnormalities of externality and signal intensity were observed in both SS and SCS of liver at each stage. The mean tp, MRSI, and slope of intensity-time curves in normal liver were 10.56 seconds, 1.01, and 10.23 arbitrary unit (au)/s, respectively. Three parameters of curves didn't show obvious change in SCS of liver at every stage. Abnormal perfusion curves occurred in SS of liver at the 12th week after the 1st injection. The abnormality of perfusion curve in SS was more and more serious as the times of injection increased. The mean tp, MRSI, and slope intensity-time curves in SS of liver were 19.45 seconds, 0.43, and 3.60 au/s respectively at the 24th week.


CONCLUSIONS
Perfusion-weighted imaging can potentially provide information about portal perfusion of hepatic parenchyma, and to some degree, reflect the severity of cirrhosis.
Yang
Zheng-Han
ZH
Department of Radiology, Beijing Hospital, Fifth Clinical Medical School of Peking University, Beijing 100730. cjr.yangzhenghan@vip.163.com
Ye
Xiao-Hua
XH
Tan
Ye
Y
Zhang
Min
M
Zhou
Ming-Zhu
MZ
Xie
Jing-Xia
JX
Chen
Min
M
Zhou
Cheng
C
D000818:Animals; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; D004285:Dogs; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
D019786:Gadolinium DTPA