Mesenteric and splenic contributions to portal venous CT perfusion in hepatic diffuse disease

To investigate the changes and contributions of superior mesenteric venous perfusion (SMVP) and splenic venous perfusion (SpVP) to portal venous CT perfusion in canine model of hepatic diffuse disease.

By selective catheterization in superior mesenteric and splenic arteries respectively after CT perfusion scanning, SMVP and SpVP became available. Sixteen dogs were adopted and induced by carbon tetrachloride after data under normal conditions were collected. After 3, 6, 9 and 12 months from carbon tetrachloride intervention, liver biopsies by puncture or operation were performed after CT perfusion scanning. SMVP and SpVP under different pathologic conditions were compared and analyzed.

Three stages of hepatic diffuse lesions were defined according to pathologic changes, namely hepatitis, hepatic fibrosis, and cirrhosis. The number of dogs which survived from each stage was: 16 from normal, 12 from hepatitis, 10 from hepatic fibrosis and 4 from cirrhosis. During this progressive period, SpVP ml/(min·100 ml) declined slightly, but there were no significant differences between different stages (P > 0.05). SMVP ml/(min·100 ml) in stage of normal (64.1 ± 8.1) and hepatic fibrosis (44.4 ± 4.5), normal and cirrhosis (42.6 ± 5.4), hepatitis (61.3 ± 6.4) and hepatic fibrosis, hepatitis and cirrhosis was significantly different, but there was no significant difference of SMVP between normal and hepatitis (P = 0.326) or hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis (P = 0.668).

With our evidence of interventional CT perfusion, it is mesenteric, not splenic, perfusion that might coincide with hepatic portal venous perfusion during the progressive period of hepatic diffuse disease.