title: Assessment of the hepatic microvascular changes in liver cirrhosis by perfusion computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the hepatic microvascular parameters in patients with liver cirrhosis by perfusion computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Perfusion CT was performed in 29 patients without liver disease (control subjects) and 39 patients with liver cirrhosis, including 22 patients with compensated cirrhosis and 17 patients with decompensated cirrhosis, proved by clinical and laboratory parameters. CT cine-scans were obtained over 50 s beginning with the injection of 50 mL of contrast agent. Hepatic microvascular parameters, mean transit time (MTT) and permeability surface area product (PS) were obtained with the Perfusion 3 software (General Electric, ADW 4.2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall differences of MTT and PS between control subjects, patients with compensated cirrhosis and those with decompensated cirrhosis were statistically significant (P = 0.010 and P = 0.002, respectively). MTT values were 15.613 +/- 4.1746 s, 12.592 +/- 4.7518 s, and 11.721 +/- 4.5681 s for the three groups, respectively, while PS were 18.945 +/- 7.2347 mL/min per 100 mL, 22.767 +/- 8.3936 mL/min per 100 mL, and 28.735 +/- 13.0654 mL/min per 100 mL. MTT in decompensated cirrhotic patients were significantly decreased compared to controls (P = 0.017), whereas PS values were remarkably increased (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hepatic microvascular changes in patients with liver cirrhosis can be quantitatively assessed by perfusion CT. Hepatic microvascular parameters (MTT and PS), as measured by perfusion CT, were significantly altered in decompensated cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, China Meitan General Hospital, 29 Xibahe Nanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100028, China. miningchen@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mai-Lin
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qing-Yu
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Jian-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Bao-Ping
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*