Evaluation of Perioperative Changes in Hepatic Functional Mass in Hepatectomized Patients Using the Galactose Tolerance Test

Takashi Kaiho, Masaru Miyazaki, Ikuo Udagawa, Hisao Koshikawa, Katsuji Okui

First Department of Surgery, Chiba University School of Medicine

We evaluated perioperative changes in hepatic functional mass in patients who underwent hepatectomy using the galactose tolerance test, which specifically measures metabolism in liver cytosol. Preoperative T-1/2 values on the galactose tolerance test (GaTT-T/2) were significantly prolonged in various hepatobiliary diseases including primary liver cancer and liver cirrhosis (p<0.001), obstructive jaundice (p<0.01), secondary liver cancer and cholelithiasis (p<0.05) in comparison with control subjects. In hepatectomized patients, GaTT-T/2 was the most markedly prolonged at two to five weeks after surgery, but recovered to preoperative values six to eighteen weeks postoperatively. The GaTT-T/2 value at one week after hepatectomy was a good indicator of postoperative course. Furthermore, the ratio of GaTT-T/2 at one week after surgery to the preoperative value was positivery correlated with the parenchymal hepatic resection rate (r=0.799, p<0.001). The perioperative measurement of GaTT-T/2 could be a useful indicator of cytosolic functional mass of the liver in patients who undergo hepatectomy.

Key words
galactose tolerance test, galactose elimination capacity, cytosolic functional mass of liver, parenchymal hepatic resection rate

Reprint requests
Takashi Kaiho First Department of Surgery, Chiba University School of Medicine
1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 280 JAPAN

Accepted
April 11, 1990

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