The Clinical Significance of ICG Clearance Curve Measured with the Finger-piece Method

Yoshiyuki Hoya, Tetsuji Fujita, Kenji Sakurai

First Department of Surgery, Jikei University School of Medicine

We studied the indocyanine green (ICG) clearance curve measured with the finger-piece method in 30 patients (10 with normal liver, 10 with liver cirrhosis, 5 with obstructive jaundice and 5 hepatectomized for metastatic liver cancer). The initial peak value (a) expressed functional hepatic mass volume, and there was a significant correlation between (a) and both serum albumin (Alb) and cholinesterase (ChE) concentration (Alb: r=0.341, p<0.05, ChE: r=0.715, p<0.005) respectively. The secondary peak value (b) indicated the presence of portocaval shunt, and there was a significant correlation between (b) and serum γ-globulin level (r=0.413, p<0.025). The d/c value calculated from exponential curves in the ICG excretion phase expressed the plasma disappearance rate of ICG, and there was a significant correlation between (d/c) and the 15 min retention rate measured with the blood sampling method (r=0.378, p<0.025) . A characteristic pattern (a≥4, b≥0.05, d/c≥0.5) of the ICG clearance curve was more frequently identified in patients with liver cirrhosis than in patients with other liver diseases (p<0.001) . In summary, analysis of the ICG clearance curve measured with the finger-piece method is useful in assessing the various liver diseases.

Key words
indocyanine green, finger-piece method, hepatic dysfunction with indocyanine green, pharmakokinetics of indocyanine green, preoperative evaluation of liver damage

Reprint requests
Yoshiyuki Hoya First Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine
3-25-8 Nishishinbashi, Tokyo, 105 JAPAN

Accepted
May 11, 1994

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