Computerized tomography and nuclear imaging of the liver: a comparative study in 83 cases

Abstract

This study was performed to comparatively assess the diagnostic accuracy of computerized tomography (CT) and nuclear liver-scanning in detecting and defining circumscript and diffuse liver diseases in 83 patients. Presence or absence of liver diseases was assessed based on the results of invasive diagnostic procedures such as biopsy, laparoscopy, laparotomy, and/or autopsy. The percentage of true negative diagnoses was 94% for CT and 91% for static gamma-imaging (n = 33). With a rate of 94% true positive diagnoses, CT proved to be superior to gamma imaging with radiocolloids (81% true positives) in diagnosing circumscript liver diseases (n = 31). In addition. CT was superior to nuclear imaging regarding discrimination of number and size of space-occupying lesions within the liver. In contrast to nuclear screening, CT scans were pathognomonic to some circumscript liver diseases such as cysts, metastases, and perhaps echinococciasis. This was also true for obstructive jaundice. Nuclear imaging, because it reflects a sort of liver function, was superior with cirrhosis, whereas CT showed only alterations in the size and shape of the liver and spleen.