Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1998. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 15, 1998; 4(3): 214-218
Published online Jun 15, 1998. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v4.i3.214
Animal experiments and clinical application of CT during percutaneous splenoportography
Xue-Lin Zhang, Shi-Jun Qiu, Ren-Min Chang, Chang-Jing Zou
Xue-Lin Zhang, Shi-Jun Qiu, Ren-Min Chang, Chang-Jing Zou, Department of Imaging Diagostics, Nanfang Hospital, the First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China
Xue-Lin Zhang, male, born on 1954-06-18 in Changsha City, Hunan Province, Han nationality, professor and director of department of imaging diagnostics, having over 80 papers and 5 books published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Xue-Lin Zhang, Department of Imaging Diagostics, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China
Telephone: +86-20-87705577 ext 3223
Received: January 31, 1998
Revised: March 25, 1998
Accepted: May 16, 1998
Published online: June 15, 1998
Abstract

AIM: To introduce computed tomography during percutaneous splenoportography (CTSP), a new method for determining hepatic diseases.

METHODS: Ten hybrid dogs and 20 patients with primary hepatic cancer (PHC) were included in the study. Each dog was examined by CT, CTAP (computed tomography during arterial portography) and CTSP to compare the enhanced degrees of the liver. The 20 PHC patients were examined by CTSP and the appearance of PHC was compared with their pathological results to evaluate the diagnostic significance of CTSP.

RESULTS: The animal experiments showed that both CTAP and CTSP could obviously enhance the liver (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference in the enhanced results between the two methods (P > 0.05). On the CTSP images in the 20 patients, the density of the livers was increased to 168-192 Hu, whereas the density of the cancers remained as low as that on the images of CT scans (< 58 Hu). The CTSP findings were consistent with the surgical ones from spaceoccupying lesions. Its diagnostic value was obviously superior to that of general enhanced CT and ultrasonic examination. However, it was difficult for CTSP to show nodules less than 1 cm in size located on the surface of the liver or the hepatic portal zone.

CONCLUSIONS: Like CTAP, CTSP is also a sensitive method for showing occupants in the liver. But the equipments and the procedures for CTSP are simpler than for CTAP. Therefore, it is an alternative procedure in clinical practice.

Keywords: portography; tomography, X-ray computed; animals, laboratory; liver neoplasms/radiography