Assessment of Liver Volume and Vascular Variants in Patients Undergoing Contrast-Enhanced CT Abdomen in a Tertiary Care Center

Abstract

Background: Preoperative evaluation for liver transplantation is essential to assess liver volume and identify hepatic vascular variations to minimize intraoperative and postoperative complications. Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) is the preferred noninvasive modality for this purpose, offering high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (95–100%). It is also crucial for pre-surgical planning in hepatic tumor resections.

Methods: This observational study included contrast-enhanced abdominal Computed Tomography(CT) scans of 193 patients (106 females, 87 males) performed at the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging using a Somatom Definition MDCT (Siemens). Liver volume and hepatic vascular anatomy including the hepatic artery, hepatic veins, and portal vein branching patterns were analyzed using a dedicated workstation.

Results: The mean liver volume was 1552.32 ± 171.64 cm³. A statistically significant correlation was found between liver volume and body mass index (BMI) (p<0.001). Male patients had significantly larger liver volumes than females (p<0.001), while age showed no significant correlation with liver volume (p=0.323). The most common hepatic artery pattern was Michel Type I (right, and left hepatic arteries arising from the common hepatic artery), seen in 57.50% of patients. A right hepatic vein with a common trunk for the middle and left hepatic veins was present in 67.36% of patients. The classic portal vein pattern is main portal vein dividing into right and left branches, with further division of the right portal vein was observed in 70.98% of cases.

Conclusion: MDCT is invaluable for preoperative liver assessment, providing accurate liver volumetry and detailed visualization of vascular anatomy and its variants.