STATISTICAL EVALUATION OF LIVER SCANNING IN COMBINATION WITH LIVER FUNCTION TESTS

The diagnostic information of liver scanning has been evaluated statistically. A focal defect in a liver scan can be considered a highly reliable abnormal finding. A diffuse decrease in liver radioactivity is of limited value, because such a finding is often obtained not only in patients suffering from a diffuse liver disease but also in patients with small focal liver lesions or with no liver disease. By statistical comparison between liver scanning and a number of liver function tests the diagnostic value of liver scanning was found to be superior to any of the liver function tests studied. This was true for liver diseases classified both as focal and diffuse. However, in focal liver diseases serum alkaline phosphatase was abnormal almost as often as liver scanning, and the combined use of this laboratory test and liver scanning seems to be a very reliable diagnostic procedure in detecting focal liver lesions, especially metastases in the liver. Multiple discriminant analysis clearly demonstrated the diagnostic value of performing liver scanning in addition to liver function tests for separating patients with a normal liver from those with focal liver disorders. Liver scanning was also of some value in distinguishing patients with a normal liver from patients with diseases generally considered as affecting the liver diffusely.