Reproducibility of Technetium-99m Mebrofenin Hepatic Functional Parameters Obtained with Semi-Automatic Software

Abstract

The reliability of quantitative measurement of two hepatobiliary functional parameters using semi-automatic computer software was tested for reproducibility within and between institutions in an academic and a community hospital. Hepatic extraction fraction (HEF) and excretion half-time (t_½) values in ten normal controls and eleven patients were determined independently by two technologists from the same institution and one technologist from a different institution. HEF and excretion t_½ values were obtained using semi-automatic nuclear hepatology software and were then compared using the paired t-test to determine their reproducibility. There was no difference in the HEF or excretion t_½, values obtained independently by the three technologists. We conclude that results obtained using semi-automatic computer software for quantitative nuclear hepatology with technetium-99m IDA agents are highly reproducible and should be used routinely as a supplement to hepatobiliary imaging studies.