MR perfusion imaging study of the hepatic hemodynamics in pigs

Objective: To evaluate the MR perfusion imaging in measuring the hemodynamics of liver. Methods: CT and MR perfusion imaging were performed in livers of 13 pigs. The hepatic artery perfusion (HAP), portal vein perfusion (PVP), total hepatic blood flow (THBF), portal vein perfusion index (PVI), distribution volume (DV) and mean transit time (MTT) were calculated and compared respectively. Hemodynamics of the liver from two kinds of imaging was compared by paired t-test, and the relativity was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: In CT and MR perfusion imaging of the 13 pigs: the hepatic artery perfusion (HAP) were (37.71±7.38) and (35.80±7.31) ml·min-1 100 ml-1, the portal vein perfusion (PVP) were (123.16±35.89) and (121.40±36.81) ml·min-1· 100 ml-1, the total hepatic blood flow (THBF) were (160.88±37.05) and (157.21±38.71) ml·min-1 ·100 ml-1, the portal vein perfusion index (PVI) were (75.95±5.21)% and (76.63±5.24)%, the distribution volume (DV) were (35.10±11.17)% and (41.03±10.06)%, the mean transit time (MTT) were (14.08±1.40) and (14.94±1.32) s. There were no statistical diferences for HAP, PVP, THBF and PVI between CT and Mil perfusion imaging (t=1.263, 0.926, 1.225, -1.115, P>0.05). There were no statistical differences for DV and MTT (t=-3.345, -3.200, P<0.01). Analysis of these two kinds of imaging showed the correlation coefficient of PVP, THBF and PVI were highly related (r>0.85, P<0.01). Correlation coefficient of HAP, DV and MTT were moderately related (r>0.70, P<0.01). Conclusions: MR perfusion can quantify the blood flow parameters of liver accurately. It is close to that of the CT perfusion imaging. (authors)