Perfusion CT findings in liver of patients with tumor during chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the microcirculation changes in liver of patients with tumor during chemotherapy by perfusion computed tomography (CT).


METHODS
Sixty patients with tumor and 20 controls were enrolled in this study. Perfusion CT parameters of patients and controls were compared, including hepatic perfusion index (HPI), mean transit time (MTT), and permeability-surface area product (PS). Correlation between perfusion CT parameters, treatment cycle and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was studied.


RESULTS
No difference was found in HPI (25.68% +/- 7.38% vs 26.82% +/- 5.13%), MTT (19.67 +/- 5.68 s vs 21.70 +/- 5.43 s) and PS (17.00 +/- 4.56 mL/100 mL per min vs 19.92 +/- 6.35 mL/100 mL per min) between patients and controls. The HPI and MTT were significantly higher in patients undergoing 2 cycles of chemotherapy than in controls and those undergoing 1 cycle of chemotherapy (29.76% +/- 5.87% vs 25.68% +/- 7.38% and 25.35% +/- 4.05%, and 25.61 +/- 5.01 s vs 19.67 +/- 5.68 s and 19.74 +/- 4.54 s, respectively, P < 0.05). The HPI was higher in patients with hepatic steatosis than in controls and those without hepatic steatosis (30.85% +/- 6.17% vs 25.68% +/- 7.38% and 25.70% +/- 4.24%, P < 0.05). Treatment cycle was well correlated with HPI and MTT (r = 0.40, r = 0.50, P < 0.01). ALT level was not correlated with perfusion CT parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
HPI and MTT are significantly increased in patients with tumor during chemotherapy and well correlated with treatment cycle. Chemotherapy affects hepatic microcirculation in patients with tumor. Changes in hepatic microcirculation can be quantitatively assessed by perfusion CT.
Zhang
Qing
Q
Department of Interventional Radiology, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, 324#, Jingwu Road, Jinan 250021, Shandong Province, China.
Yuan
Zhen-Guo
ZG
Wang
Dao-Qing
DQ
Yan
Zhi-Hui
ZH
Tang
Jun
J
Liu
Zuo-Qin
ZQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D000410:Alanine Transaminase