Radiology, Vol 199, 713-716, Copyright © 1996 by Radiological Society of North America
Hepatic hemodynamic alterations after administration of oral CT contrast agents
JF Platt, RO Bude, JH Ellis, IR Francis and JM Rubin
Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor 48109-0030, USA.
PURPOSE: To assess the effects of oral computed tomography (CT) contrast
agents on hepatic hemodynamics with duplex Doppler ultrasound (US).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects who fasted underwent duplex
Doppler US of the hepatic artery and portal vein both before and after
administration of oral CT contrast agents. Resistive indexes were
determined for the hepatic arteries. Peak and mean velocity (centimeters
per second) and mean diameter were calculated for the main portal vein.
RESULTS: Statistically significant elevation of the resistive index (P <
.01) of the hepatic arteries was observed after ingestion of oral CT
contrast agents. Increase in the mean resistive index at 15 minutes was 12%
in the proper hepatic arteries and 20% in the intrahepatic arteries. There
was a postprandial increase in mean portal venous flow compared with
baseline levels (1,110 mL/min +/- 210 vs 940 mL/min +/- 140) (P < .05).
CONCLUSION: An elevation of hepatic artery resistance that is probably due
to arterial vasoconstriction after ingestion of oral CT contrast agents can
be observed with Doppler US. Hemodynamic changes in liver vasculature after
ingestion of oral CT contrast agents may have as yet unknown implications
for CT scanning of the liver.
