[Radiological biliary tract diagnosis after cholecystectomy. I. Quantitative hepato-biliary functional scintigraphy...

Quantitative hepato-biliary functional scintigraphy (HBFS) determines the post-hepatic, ie. biliary, passage of diethyl-IDA through the liver and bile ducts. Time-activity curves of representative regions of the liver parenchyma and hilum are obtained. Subtraction of the parenchymal curve from the hilum curve produces a hilum flow curve, which provides an accurate measure of flow through the main biliary ducts. It allows one to differentiate the dynamic effects of various post-hepatic forms of obstruction. Dyskinesia and retention can be defined as pathological phenomena in a new way; dyskinesia is defined as intermittent flow, retention as delayed flow of bile into the duodenum. The method is only useful after removal of the gall bladder. The information provided is independent of the shape and size of the selected regions.