Xenon/CT Blood Flow Mapping of the Kidney and Liver

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Abstract
A noninvasive technique for measuring blood flow by xenon-enhanced X-ray transmission CT [computed tomography] was developed and reported quite extensively in recent years. In this method nonradioactive xenon gas is inhaled, and the temporal changes in radiographic enhancement produced by the inhalation are measured by sequential CT. Time-dependent xenon concentration within various tissue segments is used to derive local blood flow maps. The method has been amply discussed in relation to assessment of local cerebral blood flow. Its application to other body organs is explored, in which results from 6 preliminary blood flow studies in the liver and kidneys of nonhuman primates are reported. Blood flow in renal cortex ranged from 150-280 ml/100 cc/min and hepatic tissue perfusion from 80-120 ml/100 cc/min. The advantages and limitations of the method in such applications are discussed.