Radiology, Vol 148, 633-639, Copyright © 1983 by Radiological Society of North America
Hepatic tumor angiography: a subject review
VP Chuang
The dual blood supply of the normal hepatic parenchyma and the single
arterial supply of hepatic neoplasms are important factors in the
interpretation of celiac and hepatic arteriograms. Depending on whether the
hepatic artery, portal vein, or both are opacified, three types of
hepatogram can occur: arterial, portal, or mixed. On the celiac
arteriogram, the densely opacified hepatic parenchyma makes the less well
opacified tumor appear relatively hypovascular; and conversely, on the
hepatic arteriogram the nonopacified portal flow has a "wash-out" effect on
the normal parenchyma so that the neoplasm remains hypervascular. Thus most
hepatic neoplasms are hypervascular on the hepatic arteriogram, and
conversion of a hypervascular tumor to a hypovascular one is indicative of
its response to treatment.
