Xenon-Inhalation Computed Tomography for Noninvasive Quantitative Measurement of Tissue Blood Flow in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Xenon-inhalation computed tomography for noninvasive quantitative measurement of tissue blood flow in pancreatic tumor

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The purpose of this prospective study was to demonstrate the ability to measure pancreatic tumor tissue blood flow (TBF) with a noninvasive method using xenon inhalation computed tomography (xenon-CT) and to correlate TBF with histological features, particularly microvascular density (MVD).

METHODS

TBFs of pancreatic tumors in 14 consecutive patients were measured by means of xenon-CT at diagnosis and following therapy. Serial abdominal CT scans were obtained before and after inhalation of nonradioactive xenon gas. TBF was calculated using the Fick principle. Furthermore, intratumoral microvessels were stained with anti-CD34 monoclonal antibodies before being quantified by light microscopy (×200). We evaluated MVD based on CD34 expression and correlated it with TBF.

RESULTS

The quantitative TBF of pancreatic tumors measured by xenon CT ranged from 22.3 to 111.4 ml/min/100 g (mean ± SD, 59.6 ± 43.9 ml/min/100 g). High correlation (r = 0.885, P < 0.001) was observed between TBF and intratumoral MVD.

CONCLUSION

Xenon-CT is feasible in patients with pancreatic tumors and is able to accurately estimate MVD noninvasively.

Hepatocellular nodules in liver cirrhosis: state of the art CT evaluation (perfusion CT/volume helical shuttle scan/dual-energy CT, etc.)

The purpose of this article is to explain the role of advanced liver CT imaging, including perfusion CT, dual-energy CT, and volume helical shuttle (VHS) scanning, with regard to its clinical applications. Perfusion CT is a promising method for calculating hepatic blood flow and portal blood flow, including microcirculation, using a color-encoded display of parameters obtained from the liver time-density curve, with iodine contrast agent. Tumor angiogenesis and assessment of the response to antiangiogenesis treatment (e.g., Sorafenib) can be analyzed by perfusion CT of the liver. VHS scan has very high temporal resolution due to the reciprocating movement employed during scanning, enabling the acquisition of 24 scans of the whole liver in the arterial dominant phase during a 40-s breath hold, and a reduction in radiation dose. Dual-energy CT enables differentiation of materials and tissues based on their CT density values, using two different energy spectra. This method includes a low tube voltage CT technique that increases the contrast enhancement of vascular structures while simultaneously reducing radiation dose. Images obtained at the preferred settings of low tube voltage and high tube current, with dose reduction in the hepatic arterial phase, are useful for detecting hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma.

Determination of time-course change rate for arterial xenon using the time course of tissue xenon concentration in xenon-enhanced computed tomography

In calculating tissue blood flow (TBF) according to the Fick principle, time-course information on arterial tracer concentration is indispensable and has a considerable influence on the accuracy of calculated TBF. In TBF measurement by xenon-enhanced computed tomography (Xe-CT), nonradioactive xenon gas is administered by inhalation as a tracer, and end-tidal xenon is used as a substitute for arterial xenon. There has been the assumption that the time-course change rate for end-tidal xenon concentration (Ke) and that for arterial xenon concentration (Ka) are substantially equal. Respiratory gas sampling is noninvasive to the patient and Ke can be easily measured by exponential curve fitting to end-tidal xenon concentrations. However, it is pointed out that there would be a large difference between Ke and Ka in many cases. The purpose of this work was to develop a method of determining the Ka value using the time course of tissue xenon concentration in Xe-CT. The authors incorporated Ka into the Kety autoradiographic equation as a parameter to be solved, and developed a method of least-squares to obtain the solution for Ka from the time-course changes in xenon concentration in the tissue. The authors applied this method of least-squares to the data from Xe-CT abdominal studies performed on 17 patients; the solution for Ka was found pixel by pixel in the spleen, and its Ka map was created for each patient. On the one hand, the authors obtained the average value of the Ka map of the spleen as the calculated Ka (Ka(calc)) for each patient. On the other hand, the authors measured Ka (Ka(meas)) using the time-course changes in CT enhancement in the abdominal aorta for each patient. There was a good correlation between Ka(calc), and Ka(meas) (r = 0.966, P < 0.0001), and these two Ka values were close to each other (Ka(calc) = 0.935 x Ka(meas) + 0.089). This demonstrates that K(cala) would be close to the true Ka value. Accuracy of TBF by Xe-CT can be improved with use of the average value of the Ka map of an organ like the spleen that has a single blood supply (only arterial inflow).