COMPARISON OF TRANSCOLONIC I-123 IODOAMPHETAMINE AND PORTAL-VEIN INJECTION OF TC-99M-MACROAGGREGATED ALBUMIN SHUNT FRACTION CALCULATIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL DOGS WITH ACQUIRED PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNTS

Shunt fraction was determined using transcolonic 123I‐iodoamphetamine (IMP) and portal vein injection of 99mTc‐macroaggregated albumin (MAA) in a group of eight dogs with chronic cirrhosis and acquired portosystemic shunts subsequent to total common bile duct ligation. Hepatic parenchymal damage was confirmed by alterations in liver function tests and liver histology. Seven of the eight dogs developed portal hypertension and had angiographic evidence of hepatofugal portal blood flow with multiple peripheral portosystemic anastomoses. Shunt fractions determined in the seven dogs with shunts varied from 39 to 100 using IMP and 45 to 93 using MAA. The remaining dog had normal portal pressure, a normal portal angiogram, and normal IMP and MAA scintigraphic studies. There was an excellent correlation between the two methods of shunt fraction calculation (R2= 0.98) and the line of regression was not significantly different from unity (IMP = 1.09 × MAA ‐ 0.03). Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved