Changes in hepatic parenchymal blood flow with colorectal metastases: increase in arterial and decrease in portal...

We investigated the changes in arterial and portal blood flow in the non-tumorous liver parenchyma in the presence of colorectal hepatic metastases using the H(2)15O dynamic positron emission tomography method.

Thirty-eight patients were classified into colorectal hepatic metastases (MET), hemangioma (HEM), and no liver tumor (NR) groups. We quantitatively measured arterial blood flow and portal blood flow in each anatomical segment of the non-tumorous liver parenchyma.

In the MET, HEM and NR groups, the non-tumorous arterial blood flow was 39.89, 32.77 and 28.85 mL/100 g/minute. Each non-tumorous portal blood flow was 71.61, 100.39 and 94 mL/100 g/minute. We observed a significant difference in arterial blood flow between MET and NR (p = 0.0296), although there was no significant difference in total blood flow among three groups. In MET, we discovered a significant correlation between tumor and non-tumorous arterial blood flow in the liver parenchyma (r = 0.7120, p = 0.0209). Non-tumorous arterial blood flow and PBF were 39.07 and 62.74 mL/100 g/minute in the segment with metastases, and 41.95 and 66.23 mL/100 g/minute without metastases. There were no significant differences in any blood flow between those with and without metastasis.

The presence of hepatic metastases increased arterial blood flow with a compensatory decrease in portal blood flow within the non-tumorous liver parenchyma, irrespective of the number, location and size of the metastatic lesions.