Feasibility of Measurement of Pancreatic Perfusion Parameters with Single-Compartment Kinetic Model Applied to Dynamic Contrast-enhanced CT Images

Purpose: To examine the feasibility of measuring pancreatic perfusion parameters by using a single-compartment kinetic model applied to contrast material-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) images. Materials and Methods: This study received institutional review board approval and was HIPAA compliant. Informed consent was waived. Eight subjects ( four men, four women; median age, 40 years; range, 35-57 years), all potential renal donors with no pancreatic pathologic abnormalities, underwent abdominal CT imaging, which resulted in 30 10-mm-thick sections obtained at a single level. Imaging was a direct result of bolus timing employed for standard renal donor protocol; no additional imaging beyond what was clinically warranted was performed. Images were obtained every 3 seconds; scanning was initiated at the onset of contrast material administration. Region-of-interest measurements were obtained for the pancreatic body and the aorta to generate time-enhancement curves (TECs). A one-compartment model was applied by using the aortic and pancreatic TECs as the input and output functions, respectively. Pancreatic volumetric blood flow F(V), volume of distribution VD, and blood transit time tau were determined. Modeled pancreatic TECs were generated and were compared with actual TECs for wellness of fit. Results: Pancreatic FV values from the single-compartment model ranged from 0.961 to 6.405 min(-1) (mean, 3.560 min(-1) +/- 1.900 [ standard deviation]). Volume of distribution VD ranged from 1.491 to 3.080 (mean, 2.383 +/- 0.638), while values of tau ranged from -3.090 to 6.436 seconds (mean, 0.481 second +/- 3.000). Modeled pancreatic TECs closely matched true pancreatic TECs for each subject, with R(2) values ranging from 0.840 to 0.959. Conclusion: A simple one-compartment kinetic model can be applied to contrast-enhanced images of normal pancreas to yield accurate pancreatic TECs, which attest to the perfusion parameters obtained. In addition to yielding volumetric blood flow similar to that of other models of tissue perfusion, two additional pancreatic perfusion parameters can be obtained. (C) RSNA, 2008