[Value of rapid sequential computed tomography for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis]

Thirty-eight patients with cirrhosis of the liver and thirty-seven controls were examined by dynamic computer tomography in a prospective study. Time-density difference curves for the liver, spleen, portal vein, aorta and vena cava were treated mathematically ('gamma fit'). Comparison of the values of the difference curves of liver, spleen and portal vein showed significantly lower and delayed peaks in patients with cirrhosis than in normal people. The time-density difference curves of the liver showed a highly significant shallow decline in the presence of cirrhosis. Discriminant analysis of the curve parameters using the spleen showed differentiation between normals and cirrhosis patients of 90.2%, and using the liver curve a separation of 83%. Combining these parameters of liver and spleen curves improved the separation between cirrhotic patients and normals to 94%.