Accuracy of triphasic computerized tomography in the evaluation of hemodynamics of cirrhotic liver

الملخص EN

Background: Liver cirrhosis causes portal hypertension due to mainly parenchymal necrosis, then connective tissue deposition, nodular regeneration of hepatocyte, resulting in distortion of the hepatic architecture.

In advanced cirrhosis the hepatic artery becomes engorged and tortuous.

Spiral CT is used during the hepatic artery phase to identify and differentiate liver tumors and liver cirrhosis by detecting hemodynamic changes.

CT can also display signs of fibrosis including abnormal morphology as left lobe hypertrophy, nodular edge, and regenerating nodules that appear low density in CT.

If cirrhosis can be detected and graded by a non-invasive method this will be practically very helpful.

Aim: this study aims to evaluate the severity of liver cirrhosis using triphasic CT by measuring hepatic tissue blood flow to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and staging of cirrhosis and subsequent management and follow-up and to avoid the more invasive liver biopsy.

Subjects and Methods: A case control study was done and included patients attending the internal medicine and/or the radiology departments in Suez Canal university hospital.

Results: 60 patients were included in this study 30 patients with previous history of liver disease compared to similar number of patients with no history of liver disease.

There was statistically significant difference between region of interest (ROI) measurements in both groups and the difference was more observed between control group and Child-Pugh C patients.

Conclusion: the study concluded that the ROI measurement of liverattenuation in Triphasic CT can be used to quantify liver cirrhosis as promising technique, and aid in the staging of hepatic cirrhosis.