Xenon computed tomography shows hemodynamic change during the progression of chronic hepatitis C

AIM: Xenon computed tomography (Xe-CT) is a non-invasive method of quantifying and visualizing tissue blood flow (TBF). Xe-CT allows separate measurement of hepatic arterial and portal venous flow. The aim of this study was to investigate correlations between the progression of fibrosis and hemodynamic changes in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients using Xe-CT. METHODS: Separate measurements of portal venous TBF (PVTBF) and hepatic arterial TBF (HATBF) were performed using Xe-CT, and total hepatic TBF (THTBF) was calculated as the sum of PVTBF and HATBF. A total of 50 patients with CHC underwent Xe-CT. Liver biopsy was performed on 42 of the 50 patients, and hepatic fibrosis was classified as mild (F1), moderate (F2), severe (F3) or Child-Pugh class A cirrhosis (F4a). In addition, eight patients with Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis (F4b) were evaluated. RESULTS: Significant negative correlations were identified between PVTBF and progression of stage (r(s) = -0.622, P < 0.0001) and between THTBF and progression of stage (r(s) = -0.458, P = 0.0041). CONCLUSION: Separate measurement of PVTBF and HATBF using non-invasive Xe-CT provided quantitative and visual information regarding hemodynamics of the entire liver in CHC patients. PVTBF decreases with the progression of fibrosis, even in CHC patients.