Although the radioisotope liver scan has primarily been of use in the detection of the intra-hepatic space occupying lesions, there has been an increasing awareness of its use in evaluation of liver function.
In this study, the degree of hepatomegaly, changes in shape and mottling radiodensitv on each lobe and splenic visualization in the liver scans done with colloidal radiogold were num~:-ically expressed as scores under the arbitrary standard in 210 patients with liver cirrhosis.
The clinical value of this scoring system was studied with special regards to the correlation between the radiogold hepatic uptake half time and ´conventional liver function tests.
Following were the results;
1) The normal scan appeared in 6.7% of 210 patients with liver cirrhosis.
2) The colloidal radiogold hepatic uptake half time was abnormally and progressively prolonged
in parallel to severity of hepatocellular dysfunction. The mean hepatic uptake half time in cirrhosis
showing normal scan was 2.76±0.73 minutes.
3) The scoring system was well correlated with the serum albumin and globulin levels, A/G ratio and BSP retention. There was some correlative tendency in alkaline phosphatase activity.
4) There was no correlation with the thymol turbidity test, cholesterol levels, transaminase activities and bilirubin levels.
5) The spleen was visualized in 38.6% of total patients with liver cirrhosis. Excluding normal scans in liver cirrhosis, the spleen was visualized in 41.3%.
6) The scoring system appears to confirm the clinical diagnosis and to give a reliable estimate of ´the degree of hepatocellular dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis.
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