Critical evaluation of hepatic scintiangiography for neoplastic tumors of the liver

Abstract

Dynamic hepatic scintiangiography increases the specificity of diagnosis of space-occupying lesions of the liver seen on hepatic scintigraphy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare critically this procedure with histologic and radiopaque diagnosis in the evaluation of suspected hepatic neoplasms. Ninety-two patients had hepatic scintiangiography, scintigraphy, and histologic certification. In ten of these patients the findings of radiopaque arteriography were compared with those of hepatic scintiangiography. In all ten patients with hepatoma, the scintiangiographic and histologic observations correlated; nine of these ten patients had a "tumor stain." Fifty-one of 59 patients with metastases to the liver had scinitangiograms that showed "tumor stain." In 2 of these 59 patients, scintiangiography revealed tumor vascularity whereas the results of scintigraphy were normal. In two of four patients with metastases and two of six patients with hepatomas, scintiangiograms revealed "tumor stain" that was not evident on radiopaque afteriography. Conclusions from this study are: (A) neoplastic arterialization or "tumor stain" is more readily detected by scintiangiography than by radiopaque arteriography; (B) a normal scintigram and a "tumor stain" on the scintiangiogram in a patient with a known primary neoplasm outside the liver is suggestive of hepatic metastases; and (C) a normal scintigram and scintiangiogram make neoplastic involvement of the liver improbable. Dynamic hepatic scintiangiography is a simple, clinically useful method for increasing the specificity of diagnosis of diagnosis of space-occupying lesions of the liver and should be part of the evaluation for possible neoplastic involvement.