[Abdominal tomometry. Application to study of the liver. Experimental study, initial clinical results and perspectives in the exploration of tumour pathology (author's transl)].

Over a period of two months, 120 patients were studied using an Acta-Scanner tomometer for various hepatic disorders. In parallel, comparative tomometric and pathological studies were carried out in cadavers and isolated livers. These made possible the recognition of normal structures in tomometry and the identification of certain hepatic images which might be potential sources of error. Serial axial transverse sections were used to reconstruct the volume of the liver in space, thus making in possible to eliminate certain forms of pseudo-tumoural hepatomegaly. Systematic densitometric analysis was made by radiological anatomical study and in hepatic pathology. This new type of analysis led to a quantified diagnosis of certain diffuse hepatic diseases and a histological approach to tumour lesions. Hepatography using liposoluble agents in very low dosage was used in hepatic tomometry after animal experimentation. The method, free of untoward effects, makes possible the diagnosis of hepato-splenic tumor lesions less than one centimetre in diameter.