title: Doppler perfusion index and colorectal hepatic metastases: personal experience and review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of the hepatic perfusion in the assessment of the colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this research 18 patients affected by colorectal cancer were enrolled. All the patients were submitted to the evaluation of the Doppler Perfusion Index (DPI) which represents the ratio of hepatic arterial to total liver blood flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlation between the evaluation of the Doppler Perfusion Index and the occurrence of the liver metastases did not show false negative but has highlighted 6 false positive, achieved a good sensitivity and very low specificity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A review of the literature and the results obtained in our study suggest that DPI may be helpful in detection of hepatic metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. amacri@unime.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macrì
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saladino
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caminiti
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bartolo
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fortugno
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asero
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cinquegrani
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Famulari
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex