Hemodynamic Alteration in the Liver in Acute Hepatitis: A Quantitative Evaluation Using Computed Tomographic...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Acute hepatitis (AH) presents with significant hemodynamic changes in the liver.
• Understanding these alterations is crucial for assessing disease severity and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate liver hemodynamic alterations in patients with acute hepatitis (AH) using computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging.
• To evaluate the relationship between liver perfusion parameters and clinical factors indicative of hepatic function.

Main Methods:

• CT perfusion imaging was performed on 14 patients with AH and 9 healthy controls.
• Key parameters measured included arterial blood flow (AF), portal blood flow (PF), and the perfusion index (PI) of both liver lobes.
• The PI was calculated as PI = AF / (AF + PF) × 100.

Main Results:

• The mean PI of the right liver lobe was significantly higher in the AH group (30.5±10.0%) compared to the control group (20.8±9.7%, p=0.031).
• Across all participants, a higher right lobe PI correlated with decreased prothrombin time (R=-0.56, p=0.006) and increased prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (R=0.48, p=0.02).

Conclusions:

• The perfusion index of the right liver lobe appears to increase in patients with acute hepatitis.
• This finding suggests that the right liver lobe PI may serve as a valuable predictive parameter for the severity of hepatic failure.