Evaluation of the hepatic blood flow increase in the cases with liver metastasis and prediction of patent cases of liver metastasis using dynamic CT.
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.
Natsume
Toshiyuki
T
Department of Frontier Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. natsu-22@cameo.plala.or.jp
Okazumi
Shin-ichi
S
Takayama
Wataru
W
Takeda
Akihiko
A
Iwasaki
Koutaro
K
Makino
Harufumi
H
Sasagawa
Shin-ichi
S
Cho
Akihiro
A
Kouno
Tsuguaki
T
Kondo
Satoru
S
Sunouchi
Kouta
K
Asano
Takehide
T
Ochiai
Takenori
T
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*