The influence of spleen size on liver regeneration after major hepatectomy in normal and early cirrhotic liver.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between liver regeneration and spleen size after major hepatectomy in normal and cirrhotic liver was studied by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).


METHODS
Twenty-six patients, 18 patients with normal liver and eight patients with cirrhotic liver, receiving major hepatectomy were included. Liver and spleen volumes were measured by SPECT before major hepatectomy, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after operation. The correlation of liver and spleen volume during liver regeneration was analyzed.


RESULTS
In both groups, the residual liver volume increased within the first year and decreased in the second year. No difference in regeneration ability was found. The spleen volume in cirrhotic liver was increased, with a trend similar to normal liver during the first year. In contrast, the increased spleen volume persisted up to the second year in cirrhotic patients. Age per year, the female sex, and body surface index had a positive correlation with increased percentage of liver volume. The spleen volume per 100 ml with time played a significantly negative role in increasing percentage of liver volume, confidence interval: -2.16 to -27.92, P=0.011.


CONCLUSIONS
In early cirrhotic liver within normal functional limits, the liver still could regenerate as a normal liver after major hepatectomy in 1 year. Age, the female sex, and body surface index had positive correlation but the size of spleen volume played a negative role to regenerative liver volume.
Shan
Yan-Shen
YS
Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hopsital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70428, Taiwan.
Hsieh
Yu-Hsiang
YH
Sy
Edgar D
ED
Chiu
Nan-Tsing
NT
Lin
Pin-Wen
PW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon