OBJECTIVETo study the characteristics of blood flow in common hepatic tumors by 256-slice spiral CT whole-liver perfusion imaging.

METHODSSeventy-one patients with hepatic tumors were examined retrospectively by 256-slice spiral CT whole-liver perfusion. Among them, twenty-seven cases were of primary hepatic cancer, twenty-four cases of hepatic hemangioma, and twenty cases of hepatic metastases.Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed in the tumor parenchyma (Area A), peritumoral hepatic parenchyma (Area B), and normal hepatic parenchyma (Area C), respectively. The time density curves (TDC) were drawn, and perfusion parameters including hepatic arterial perfusion(HAP), portal venous perfusion(PVP), total liver perfusion(TLP) and hepatic erfusion index(HPI) were obtained. The values of ROIs were measured, and the perfusion parameters in the areas A, B, C of different hepatic tumors were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThe values of HAP, PVP, HPI in the tumor parenchyma of primary hepatic carcinoma were (20.00 ± 11.41)ml · min(-1) · 100 ml(-1,) (32.31 ± 21.06)ml · min(-1) · 100 ml(-1,) (52.31 ± 30.55)ml · min(-1) · 100 ml(-1,) and (39.67 ± 11.19)%, showing significant difference as compared with those in peritumoral hepatic parenchyma and in normal hepatic parenchyma(P<0.05). The values of HAP, TLP, and HPI in the tumor parenchyma of hepatic hemangioma were (40.39 ± 29.23)ml · min(-1) · 100 ml(-1,) (132.72 ± 132.65) ml · min(-1) · 100 ml(-1,) and (35.51 ± 15.12)%, were significantly different as compared with those in the peritumoral hepatic parenchyma and in normal hepatic parenchyma(P<0.05). The values of HAP, PVP, HPI in the tumor parenchyma of hepatic metastases were (17.43 ± 12.27)ml · min(-1) · 100 ml(-1,) (36.19 ± 34.99) ml · min(-1) · 100 ml(-1,) and (37.86 ± 14.49)%, significantly different as compared normal hepatic parenchyma (P<0.05). The HAP, PVP, and TLP of tumor tissue and the PVP and HPI of peritumoral tissue in different hepatic tumors were statistically significantly different (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe multi-slice spiral CT whole-liver perfusion has certain value in the diagnosis of common hepatic tumors. Perfusion parameters in different areas of common hepatic tumors have their own hemodynamic characteristics.