[Hepatic functional evaluation using the galactose tolerance test in patients with obstructive jaundice].

Hepatic functional mass was evaluated in patients with obstructive jaundice using the galactose tolerance test (GaTT), which reflected cytosolic function of hepatocyte. The T-1/2 values as an index on the GaTT were significantly prolonged in patients with obstructive jaundice in comparison with control subjects whether before or after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD). But in each cases, some showed nearly normal GaTT-T/2 value and others showed severely prolonged value. Patients with obstructive jaundice could be divided into two groups according to the GaTT-T/2 value before PTBD. The decreasing rate of serum bilirubin level "b" after PTBD was significantly fair in the group A patients (good GaTT-T/2 value before PTBD) than the group B (poor GaTT-T/2 value before PTBD) (P less than 0.05). It was that GaTT-T/2 before PTBD which represented hepatic cytosolic functional mass could predict the effect of PTBD in patients with obstructive jaundice.