title: Diagnostic value of measuring liver volume for detecting occult hepatic metastases from colorectal or gastric cancer.
abstract: Some studies have shown reduced portal blood flow in patients with occult hepatic metastases, which may lead to decreased liver volume. A retrospective study was conducted in patients undergoing curative resection for colorectal (n = 63) or gastric (n = 52) cancer. The ratio of the preoperative computed tomography (CT)-estimated liver volume to the standard liver volume (CV/SV ratio) was calculated. The mean +/- SD CT-estimated liver volume was 858 +/-109 in 14 patients who subsequently developed hepatic metastases and 1173 +/- 230 ml in 101 patients without metastases (p < 0.0001). The CV/SV ratio was smaller in patients with metachronous hepatic metastases than in those without (0.78 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.02 + 0.13; p < 0.0001). The results suggest that the liver with occult metastases decreases in size before metastases develop that are detectable using conventional imaging techniques. The CV/SV ratio may be of value in detecting occult hepatic metastases from colorectal and gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Tokyo Teishin Hospital, 2-14-23 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8798, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishizawa
authors.forename: Tetsuhisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsukui
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sekikawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D001830:Body Surface Area; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed