The Reticulo-Endothelial System and its Relation to the Roentgen Study of the Liver and Spleen after the Intravenous Administration of Thorium Dioxide Solution1

The recognition of pathologic changes in the liver and spleen has always been a stumbling block to the roentgenologist. With the aid of pneumoperitoneum, and even without it, to a limited degree, it is possible to recognize alterations in size and position, but not until recently has it been possible to show even gross alterations in structure. Since the discovery of the roentgen-ographic gall-bladder function test by Graham and Cole, in 1923, numerous roentgenologists have noted an increased density of the liver a few hours after administration of the Phenolphthalein salt. This phenomenon enabled Einhorn and Stewart to observe alterations of structure, due to metastatic carcinoma and cysts of the liver, which they reported in 1927. Although this test has contributed much to the diagnosis of gall-bladder disease, its contribution to the roentgen diagnosis of diseases of the liver has been practically nil. In 1928, Radt, in his clinic at the University of Berlin, began work on the theoretic assumption that...