Relationship Between Graft Liver Function and the Change of Graft Liver and Spleen Volumes After Technical Variant Liver Transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Although there have been a few reports describing the changes of graft liver and spleen volumes after liver transplantation (LT), little is known about the relationship between graft liver function and the changes of these volumes after technical variant liver transplantation (TVLT). We therefore performed a retrospective study to investigate the relationship between graft liver function and these volumes after TVLT.


METHODS
We retrospectively investigated the cases of 140 TVLT procedures that were performed in our department between July 1987 and October 2012 and in which follow-up was conducted at our department. We calculated the graft liver volume to standard liver volume (GV/SLV) ratio, the spleen volume to standard spleen volume (SV/SSV) ratio, and the spleen volume to graft liver volume (S/L) ratio by CT volumetry. We clarified the relationship between graft liver function (according to the pathological findings) and the graft liver and spleen volumes at 2, 5, and 10 years after TVLT.


RESULTS
In the normal liver function group, the GV/SLV, SV/SSV, and S/L ratios decreased until 6 months after TVLT and then converged at 10 years after TVLT to 0.95, 1.27, and 0.27, respectively. In the graft liver failure group, the GV/SLV, SV/SSV, and S/L ratios at 10 years after TVLT were 0.67, 5.01, and 1.55, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between the GV/SLV ratio and the presence of mild liver fibrosis at 2 and 5 years after TVLT (P = .03 and P = .04, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Post-transplant CT-volumetry is a noninvasive and effective means of evaluating graft liver status.
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan. Electronic address: yutaktyy1234@jichi.ac.jp.
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Hirata
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Sanada
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Urahashi
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Ihara
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Yamada
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Okada
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Tashiro
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Katano
Department of Pharmacy, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Otomo
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Ushijima
Department of Transplant Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke City, Tochigi, Japan.
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Mizuta
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult