FOCAL LIVER HYPERPLASIA IN ALAGILLE-SYNDROME - ASSESSMENT WITH HEPATORECEPTOR AND HEPATOBILIARY IMAGING

A child with Alagille syndrome, characterized by intrahepatic bile duc t paucity, developed severe liver cirrhosis and was referred for liver transplantation. In the pre-transplantation evaluation, scintigraphic scans were performed using Tc-99m-galactosyl serum albumin (Tc-99m-GS A) as a hepatoreceptor binding agent and (99m)-Tc-pyridoxyl-5-methyl-t ryptophan (Tc-99m-PMT) as a hepatobiliary agent. These studies demonst rated severe hepatobiliary dysfunction with an area of increased focal uptake in the liver. Histological examination at surgery confirmed th at this focal lesion was an area of compensatory hyperplasia in advanc ed biliary cirrhosis. We present the usefulness of these tracers for d etecting the focal hyperplasia of the liver.