Value of computed tomography-derived estimated liver volume/standard liver volume ratio for predicting the prognosis of adult fulminant hepatic failure in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
The prognosis of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) has been improved but is still unsatisfactory, and liver atrophy has been reported as a poor prognostic factor for this disease. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical value of the estimated liver volume (ELV) compared to the standard liver volume (SLV) in patients with FHF.


METHODS
Estimated liver volume of 24 adult patients with FHF receiving artificial liver support (ALS) was measured by using computed tomography. Actual liver weight (ALW) was measured if possible, and the calculated ELV/SLV ratio was compared to the ALW/SLV ratio and the ALW/BW (bodyweight) ratio. Sequential ELV/SLV ratios during the clinical course were analyzed in relation to the prognosis.


RESULTS
The ELV/SLV ratio was significantly correlated with both the ALW/SLV and ALW/BW ratios. The mean ALW/SLV ratio of patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) was 0.59 +/- 0.17. The mean ELV/SLV ratio at the time of starting ALS (day 0) in the patients who survived (group 1) was 1.081 +/- 0.183, but that of cases who underwent LDLT or died without LDLT (group 2) was 0.764 +/- 0.255. The mean ELV/SLV ratios were 1.084 +/- 0.222 and 0.650 +/- 0.195 in groups 1 and 2, respectively, 5 days after starting ALS (day 5). Among the group 2 patients, those who had no liver atrophy on day 0 had a significantly decreased ELV/SLV ratio on day 5.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the ELV/SLV ratio is a very useful objective marker to estimate liver atrophy and this marker reflects the prognosis of FHF patients very well.
Yamagishi
Yoshiyuki
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Saito
Hidetsugu
H
Tada
Shinichiro
S
Horie
Yoshinori
Y
Kato
Shinzo
S
Ishii
Hiromasa
H
Shimojima
Naoki
N
Haga
Junko
J
Shimazu
Motohide
M
Kitajima
Masaki
M
Hibi
Toshifumi
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric