Flow of Portal and Hepatic Blood in Normal and Cirrhotic Liver

Abstract

HEPATIC blood-flow measured by the bromsulphthalein method, the colloidal radiogold method, or other methods is the sum of both portal blood-flow and hepatic arterial blood-flow. As to the relative portal and arterial blood-flow, one-third to one-fourfch of the total hepatic blood-flow was estimated, in animal experiments, to be derived from the hepatic artery under basal conditions¹. In some cases with cirrhosis of the liver, in which portocaval shunting operations were performed or portal venous collaterals were accessible, 25–75 per cent or 54 per cent of the total hepatic blood-flow was estimated to be from the hepatic artery^2,3. It is desirable to develop a new method which enables the actual measurement of the portal blood-flow and the hepatic arterial blood-flow in normal subjects and cirrhotic patients, but there has been no report except that of Ueda⁴.