Three-Dimensional Quantitative Evaluation of the Segmental Functional Reserve in the Cirrhotic Liver Using Multi-Modality Imaging

To quantitatively evaluate the regional functional reserve in the cirrhotic liver and to seek related index that reflects diminished segmental liver function.A 3D system for quantitative evaluation of the liver was used to fuse technetium-99m galactosyl human serum albumin single-photon emission computed tomography and computed tomography images from 20 patients with cirrhotic liver and hepatocellular carcinoma. A set of parameters reflecting liver function including morphological liver volume, functional liver volume, functional liver density (FLD), and the drug absorption rate constant for hepatic cells (GSA-K) was calculated. Differences in FLD and GSA-K in intrahepatic segments were compared in patients with a tumor embolus (Group Y) and those without such an embolus (Group N) in the right portal vein. Differences in FLD and GSA-K in tumor-bearing (T+ group) and tumor-free (T− group) segments in patients with no tumor embolus (Group N) were also compared. Eleven living donor liver transplantation donor served as the control group.The FLD of the liver as a whole was significantly lower in patients with cirrhosis than in the control group (0.53 ± 0.13 vs 0.68 ± 0.10, P = 0.010). The FLD in segments of the right hemiliver was significantly lower than that in segments of the left hemiliver in Group Y (0.31 ± 0.21 vs 0.58 ± 0.12, P = 0.002) but not in Group N (0.60 ± 0.19 vs 0.55 ± 0.13, P = 0.294). FLD was 0.45 ± 0.17 in the T+ group and 0.60 ± 0.08 in the T− group (P = 0.008). Differences in GSA-K in intrahepatic segments were not significant. In the control group, differences in FLD and GSA-K in intrahepatic segments were not significant.The segmental liver functional reserve can be quantitatively calculated. FLD, but not GSA-K, is an index that reflects diminished regional liver function caused by portal flow obstruction or tumor compression.