BILIARY KINETICS OF HORSES AS DETERMINED BY QUANTITATIVE NUCLEAR SCINTIGRAPHY

A technique for hepatobiliary scanning in horses in described. The images acquired were also analyzed by computer, and the normal temporal parameters of the study were described for both fasted and fed horses. No significant differences were found between fasted and fed animals. Maximum activity in the liver was reached within 10 minutes in all cases, and reached 50% of maximum by 36.2 ± 13.8 minutes in fasted horses, and 26.2 ± 4.5 minutes in fed horses. Maximum activity within the bile duct was reached by 14.6 ± 4.2 minutes in fed horses and 18.0 ± 5.7 minutes in fasted horses. The time after injection to 50% of maximum was 30.4 ± 7.1 minutes in fasted horses and 21.0 ± 5.4 minutes in fed horses. This technique shows promise for the evaluation of equine patients with hepatobiliary disease.