Measurement of regional hepatic blood flow by scintiphotosplenoportography.

A new technique for estimating regional hepatic blood flow using the inert gas washout technique and scintillation camera following injection of 133Xe into the spleen is presented. This technique is easily, rapidly and repeatedly performed and permits the measurement of nutrient hepatic tissue blood flow. Measurement of regional hepatic blood flow in right and/or left lobes was performed in 28 patients. In all but one patient the right lobar flow value was equal to or greater than the left one. The right lobar flow was 86.20 +/- 12.83 ml/100 gm/min in 3 patients without liver disease, 75.12 +/- 14.54 ml/100 gm/min in 12 with chronic hepatitis and 51.24 +/- 17.13 ml/100 gm/min in 11 with liver cirrhosis. This result suggests that hepatic tissue blood flow is significantly decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis. Scintillation camera images of initial xenon distribution in combination with monitor of washout curves over the liver also provide more informations on the presence of extra-and intrahepatic shunts. Therefore, this technique appears to be clinically useful in evaluation of hemodynamic phenomena associated with liver diseases.