Radiology, Vol 169, 137-140, Copyright © 1988 by Radiological Society of North America
Portosystemic shunting in portal hypertension: evaluation with portal scintigraphy with transrectally administered I-123 IMP
T Kashiwagi, M Azuma, T Ikawa, T Takehara, H Matsuda, H Yoshioka, N Mitsutani, T Koizumi and K Kimura
Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Kosei-Nenkin Hospital, Japan.
Portosystemic shunting was evaluated with rectal administration of
iodine-123 iodoamphetamine (IMP) in seven patients without liver disease
and 53 patients with liver cirrhosis. IMP (2-3 mCi [74-111 MBq]) was
administered to the rectum through a catheter. Images of the chest and
abdomen were obtained for up to 60 minutes with a scintillation camera
interfaced with a computer. In all patients, images of the liver and/or
lungs were observed within 5-10 minutes and became clear with time. In
patients without liver disease, only liver images could be obtained,
whereas the lung was visualized with or without the liver in all patients
with liver cirrhosis. The portosystemic shunt index was calculated by
dividing counts of lungs by counts of liver and lung. These values were
significantly higher in liver cirrhosis, especially in the decompensated
stage. Transrectal portal scintigraphy with IMP appears to be a useful
method for noninvasive and quantitative evaluation of portosystemic
shunting in portal hypertension.
