title: Evaluation of the hepatic blood flow increase in the cases with liver metastasis and prediction of patent cases of liver metastasis using dynamic CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to measure hepatic blood flow increase in cases with liver metastasis and to diagnose minimal metastasis which cannot be visualized by imaging modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The evaluation of hepatic arterial flow increase was performed quantitatively by newly devised index ELR (early-late-ratio) using dynamic computed tomographic (CT) scanning with contrast media.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ratio of the cases with liver metastasis was significantly higher than that of normal liver control. It was revealed that the ratio was correlated with microvessel proliferation in the liver around the metastasis by examination of surgical specimen. Moreover, the patent group which proved to have metastasis within 6 months also had a significant higher ELR value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ELR not only was useful to evaluate hepatic blood flow increase in the cases with liver metastasis but also could be applied to predict the patent group with micrometastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Frontier Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. natsu-22@cameo.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Natsume
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okazumi
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Koutaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Harufumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasagawa
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Tsuguaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kouno
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Kouta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sunouchi
authors.forename: Takehide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Takenori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochiai
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003720:Densitometry; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D008833:Microcirculation; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*