The effect of spleen volume on liver regeneration after hepatectomy--a clinical study of liver and spleen volumes by computed tomography.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between liver regeneration and spleen volume after partial hepatectomy was studied with computed tomography (CT) in 13 patients with chronic liver disease (chronic active hepatitis: 2, pre-liver cirrhosis: 3, liver cirrhosis: 8).


METHODS
Liver and spleen volumes were measured by abdominal CT before hepatectomy and 1 and 2 years after operation, and the percent volumes of the liver and spleen of abdominal capacity were compared.


RESULTS
While the residual liver volume increased in all patients after 1 year, it continued to increase in 7 patients (percent recovery: 102 +/- 4.8%) but had decreased in 5 patients (90.0 +/- 4.8%) after 2 years. The mean spleen volume 2 years after hepatectomy was 2.8 +/- 0.9% in the former, and 6.0 +/- 1.2% in the latter. The percent increase in liver volume was inversely related to the spleen volume (r = -0.707). In a case of transcatheter splenic arterial embolization, the liver volume continued to be increase despite splenomegaly.


CONCLUSIONS
Splenic volume is suggested to be related to the process of recovery of the liver.
Sato
K
K
Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Tanaka
M
M
Tanikawa
K
K
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed