Distribution of mesenteric and splenic blood flow in cirrhosis of the liver as estimated by radionuclide angiography.

We used radionuclide angiography following an injection of 185 MBq Tc-99m tin colloid as a non-invasive method for measuring the mesenteric and portal components of the total hepatic circulation, according to the method of Fleming et al (J Nucl Med 24; 1983). Fifty-seven patients with cirrhosis and 33 controls were examined. The relative mesenteric flow (MF) and the relative portal flow (PF) were 68.6 +/- 8.5% and 78.6 +/- 5.9%, respectively, in the control group. These values were 42.0 +/- 16.4% and 70.9 +/- 8.9%, respectively in the cirrhosis group, and were significantly lower than in the controls. In the cirrhosis group, the reduction in PF was small, while that in MF was large. Consequently, we found that portal blood flow was relatively well maintained in the cirrhosis patients, while the contribution of splanchnic blood flow to the portal flow was relatively reduced.