MEASUREMENT OF HUMAN PANCREATIC PERFUSION USING DYNAMIC COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY WITH PERFUSION IMAGING

Absolute quantification of pancreatic perfusion in man has been extrem ely difficult to date. This paper describes a relatively simple applic ation of dynamic computed tomography to provide perfusion imaging of t he human pancreas. Values for perfusion in eight normal pancreases ran ged between 1.25 and 1.66 ml min(-1) ml(-1) (mean: 1.52 ml min(-1) ml( -1)). Increased perfusion values were present in a patient with an isl et cell tumour (overall perfusion 2.11 ml min(-1) ml(-1)) and a patien t with Wilson's disease (3.43 ml min(-1) ml(-1)). Pancreatic perfusion was reduced in a patient with diabetes (0.60 ml min(-1) ml(-1)) and i n a failing pancreatic transplant (0.97 ml min(-1) ml(-1)). The combin ation of functional information and good spatial detail afforded by co mputed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging means the technique is well s uited for the evaluation of the human pancreas. It is currently the on ly technique which allows non-invasive absolute quantification of panc reatic perfusion.