Blood flow mapping in the human liver by the xenon/CT method

In the noninvasive, nonradioactive xenon/CT method of blood flow measurement, xenon gas is inhaled, and the temporal changes in radiographic enhancement produced by the inhalation are measured by sequential CT; time-dependent xenon concentration within various tissue segments is then used to derive local blood flow maps. The usefulness of the method in the assessment of local cerebral blood flow has been documented. In this paper we explore its application to blood flow measurement in the human liver. In our preliminary clinical studies, hepatic blood flow ranged from 50 to 120 ml/100 cc/min in normal and adequately supplied tissue, and lower flow values were observed in tissue with abnormal function. The advantages and limitations of the method in such applications are discussed.