Quantitation of fat in liver by xenon uptake.

Xenon uptake in fatty livers of seven patients has been quantitatively measured, and correlated with the amount of fat in the hepatic cells. Quantitation of the Xenon uptake correctly predicted the amount of fat seen histologically in six of the seven patients studied. In the seventh patient, analysis of the wash-in and wash-out curves showed that equilibrium conditions had not been reached. It is concluded that the establishment of equilibrium conditions is a prerequisite to the use of this test in a quantitative fashion.