[Hepatic mean transit time of 99mTc-EHIDA estimated by deconvolution analysis]

Area of Science:

• Hepatobiliary imaging
• Nuclear medicine
• Liver function assessment

Background:

• Hepatobiliary diseases encompass a range of conditions affecting liver function.
• Accurate assessment of liver transfer function is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Traditional methods may not fully capture dynamic liver processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical utility of mean transit time (MTT) and initial transfer factor in assessing liver function.
• To investigate the correlation of these parameters with various hepatobiliary diseases and biochemical markers.
• To determine the diagnostic value of MTT and initial transfer factor in liver disease.

Main Methods:

• Utilized deconvolution analysis of 99mTc-EHIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy.
• Assessed 82 patients with diverse hepatobiliary conditions and 18 healthy controls.
• Calculated MTT and initial transfer factor using established methodologies.

Main Results:

• MTT was significantly prolonged in patients with obstructive jaundice, chronic liver diseases, decompensated liver cirrhosis, and primary biliary cirrhosis compared to controls.
• Compensated liver cirrhosis patients showed normal MTT but decreased blood clearance rate.
• MTT positively correlated with liver enzymes (T-Bil, ALP, LAP, gamma-GTP) and negatively with cholinesterase.
• Initial transfer factor correlated with blood clearance rate and was decreased in liver cirrhosis and primary biliary cirrhosis patients.

Conclusions:

• MTT and initial transfer factor are sensitive indicators of impaired liver transfer function in various hepatobiliary diseases.
• These parameters can aid in differentiating disease severity and assessing the functional status of the liver.
• Hepatobiliary scintigraphy with deconvolution analysis offers valuable insights into liver pathophysiology.