The discriminant diagnostic power of liver function tests in hepatic cirrhosis.

We have studied the results of 10 hepatic tests with multivariate linear discriminant analysis in 44 normal subjects and 88 cirrhotic patients. The results prove that the functional tests with major diagnostic power re those that analyse the functional reserve of the liver, basically the clearance and transport maximum of bromsulphalein. Both give us a diagnostic error of 1.2% and the addition of the other tests increases only slightly the degree of discriminant power. The value of MLDA in the functional evaluation of cirrhotic patients is discussed.