Nomogram based on liver stiffness and spleen area with ultrasound for posthepatectomy liver failure:A multicenter study

BACKGROUND Liver stiffness(LS)measurement with two-dimensional shear wave elastography(2D-SWE)correlates with the degree of liver fibrosis and thus indirectly reflects liver function reserve.The size of the spleen increases due to tissue proliferation,fibrosis,and portal vein congestion,which can indirectly reflect the situation of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis.It was reported that the size of the spleen was related to posthepatectomy liver failure(PHLF).So far,there has been no study combining 2D-SWE measurements of LS with spleen size to predict PHLF.This prospective study aimed to investigate the utility of 2D-SWE assessing LS and spleen area(SPA)for the prediction of PHLF in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients and to develop a risk prediction model.AIM To investigate the utility of 2D-SWE assessing LS and SPA for the prediction of PHLF in HCC patients and to develop a risk prediction model.METHODS This was a multicenter observational study prospectively analyzing patients who underwent hepatectomy from October 2020 to March 2022.Within 1 wk before partial hepatectomy,ultrasound examination was performed to measure LS and SPA,and blood was drawn to evaluate the patient’s liver function and other conditions.Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to identify independent predictors of PHLF and develop a nomogram.Nomogram performance was validated further.The diagnostic performance of the nomogram was evaluated with receiver operating charac-teristic curve compared with the conventional models,including the model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score and the albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)score.RESULTS A total of 562 HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy(500 in the training cohort and 62 in the validation cohort)were enrolled in this study.The independent predictors of PHLF were LS,SPA,range of resection,blood loss,international normalized ratio,and total bilirubin.Better diagnostic performance of the nomogram was obtained in the training[area under receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC):0.833;95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.792-0.873;sensitivity:83.1%;specificity:73.5%]and validation(AUC:0.802;95%CI:0.684-0.920;sensitivity:95.5%;specificity:52.5%)cohorts compared with the MELD score and the ALBI score.CONCLUSION This PHLF nomogram,mainly based on LS by 2D-SWE and SPA,was useful in predicting PHLF in HCC patients and presented better than MELD score and ALBI score.

Liver-spleen axis: Intersection between immunity, infections and metabolism

Spleen has been considered a neglected organ so far, even though is strictly linked to liver. The spleen plays an important role in the modulation of the immune system and in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance via the clearance of circulating apoptotic cells, the differentiation and activation of T and B cells and production of antibodies in the white pulp. Moreover, splenic macrophages are able to remove bacteria from the blood and protect from sepsis during systemic infections. We review the spleen function and its assessment in humans starting from the description of spleen diseases, ranging from the congenital asplenia to secondary hyposplenism. From the literature data it is clear that obesity in humans affects different compartments of immune system, even thought there are still few data available on the implicated mechamisms. The intent is to enable clinicians to evaluate the newly recognized role of metabolic and endocrine functions of the spleen with special emphasis to obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the context of the available literature.Moreover, understanding the spleen function could be important to develop appropriate prevention strategies in order to counteract the pandemia of obesity. In this direction, we suggest spleen longitudinal diameter at ultrasonography, as simple, cheap and largely available tool, be used as new marker for assessing splenic function, in the context of the so-called liver-spleen axis.

Functional distinction of rat liver natural killer cells from spleen natural killer cells under normal and acidic conditions in vitro

BACKGROUND: The microenvironment within solid tumors has often been shown to exhibit an acidic extracellular pH. Although the morphologic and functional differences in natural killer (NK) cells of the liver and spleen have been reported previously under physiological conditions, the difference under acidic conditions is still unclear. This study was to investigate the differences in the morphological and functional characteristics between rat liver and spleen NK cells under normal and acidic conditions in vitro. METHODS: Liver and spleen NK cells were isolated and purified from Sprague-Dawley rats by density gradient centrifugation and the Dynabeads FlowComp TM Flexi system, and stimulated for 4 days with or without IL-2 or treated with low pH or control for different times. Morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cell death and proliferation assays were performed by flow cytometry, IFN-γ production was tested by ELISA, and cytotoxic activity was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. RESULTS: Liver NK cells had significantly higher levels of cytotoxic activity than spleen NK cells under normal and acidic conditions, and the maximum difference was observed at pH 5.6. Further analysis revealed that the cytotoxic activity of NK cells was correlated with morphology, cell death, proliferative activity and IFN-γ production. By TEM, liver NK cells contained a greater number of electron-dense granules per cell at pH 5.6.Moreover, a modest elevation of cell death and reduction of proliferation of liver NK cells occurred within a range of 5.6-7.2. Interestingly, an acidic extracellular pH only marginally, and not significantly, suppressed IFN-γ production by liver NK cells. CONCLUSION: The sharp morphological and functional differences shown by the two types of NK cells in vitro indicate that liver NK cells are unexpectedly resistant to pH shock.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, spleen and psoriasis:New aspects of low-grade chronic inflammation

AIM: To investigate spleen status in psoriasis and itsrelationship with hepatic steatosis, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, and insulin resistance.METHODS: Seventy-nine psoriatic patients who were not suffering from any chronic inflammatory disease were retrospectively selected for inclusion in this study,and their complete medical records were accessed.An age- and sex-matched group of 80 non-psoriatic,obese patients was included as a control. The following relevant data were collected: age, sex, weight, height,body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure,insulin resistance status, age at psoriasis onset, and severity of psoriasis. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed to determine spleen longitudinal diameter(SLD), and hepatic steatosis grade.RESULTS: The SLD of control obese patients was greater than that of psoriatic subjects(P = 0.013),but body mass index predicted the size of the spleen in psoriatic patients(P < 0.001). The SLD of psoriatic patients with normal weight was significantly reduced with respect to the overweight/obese psoriatic patients(P = 0.002). A multiple regression analysis revealed that body mass index was a unique predictor of the spleen size(P < 0.001). Finally, the disease duration predicted the spleen size in psoriatic subjects(P =0.038).CONCLUSION: This study shows a correlation between the SLD and the duration of psoriasis.

Current strategies for predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure and a new ultrasound-based nomogram

Liver cancer is associated with a few factors,such as viruses and alcohol con-sumption,and hepatectomy is an important treatment for patients with liver cancer.However,post-hepatectomy liver failure(PHLF)is the most serious complication and has a high mortality rate.Effective prediction of PHLF allows for the adjustment of clinical treatment strategies and is critical to the long-term prognosis of patients.Many factors have been associated with the development of PHLF,so there is an increasing interest in the development of predictive models for PHLF,such as nomograms that integrate intra-operative factors,imaging and biochemical characteristics of the patient.Ultrasound,as a simple and important examination method,plays an important role in predicting PHLF,especially the Nomogram established based on ultrasound measurements of liver stiffness and spleen area provides a more convenient way to predict the occurrence of PHLF.

Clinical value of liver and spleen shear wave velocity in predicting the prognosis of patients with portal hypertension

AIM To explore the relationship of liver and spleen shear wave velocity in patients with liver cirrhosis combined with portal hypertension,and assess the value of liver and spleen shear wave velocity in predicting the prognosis of patients with portal hypertension.METHODS All 67 patients with liver cirrhosis diagnosed as portal hypertension by hepatic venous pressure gradient in our hospital from June 2014 to December 2014 were enrolled into this study. The baseline information of these patients was recorded. Furthermore,67 patients were followed-up at 20 mo after treatment,and liver and spleen shear wave velocity were measured by acoustic radiation force impulse at the 1^(st) week,3^(rd) month and 9^(th) month after treatment. Patients with favorable prognosis were assigned into the favorable prognosis group,while patients with unfavorable prognosis were assigned into the unfavorable prognosis group. The variation and difference in liver and spleen shear wave velocity in these two groups were analyzed by repeated measurement analysis of variance. Meanwhile,in order to evaluate the effect of liver and spleen shear wave velocity on the prognosis of patients with portal hypertension,Cox's proportional hazard regression model analysis was applied. The ability of those factors in predicting the prognosis of patients with portal hypertension was calculated through receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves.RESULTS The liver and spleen shear wave velocity in the favorable prognosis group revealed a clear decline,while those in the unfavorable prognosis group revealed an increasing tendency at different time points. Furthermore,liver and spleen shear wave velocity was higher in the unfavorable prognosis group,compared with the favorable prognosis group; the differences were statistically significant(P < 0.05). The prognosis of patients with portal hypertension was significantly affected by spleen hardness at the 3^(rd) month after treatment [relative risk(RR) = 3.481]. At the 9^(th) month after treatment,the prognosis was affected by liver hardness(RR = 5.241) and spleen hardness(RR = 7.829). The differences between these two groups were statistically significant(P < 0.05). The ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve(AUC) of spleen hardness at the 3^(rd) month after treatment was 0.644,while the AUCs of liver and spleen hardness at the 9^(th) month were 0.579 and 0.776,respectively. These might predict the prognosis of patients with portal hypertension.CONCLUSION Spleen hardness at the 3^(rd) month and liver and spleen shear wave velocity at the 9^(th) month may be used to assess the prognosis of patients with portal hypertension. This is hoped to be used as an indicator of predicting the prognosis of patients with portal hypertension.

Non-invasive model for predicting esophageal varices based on liver and spleen volume

BACKGROUND Upper endoscopy is the gold standard for predicting esophageal varices in China.Guidelines and consensus suggest that patients with liver cirrhosis should undergo periodic upper endoscopy,most patients undergo their first upper endoscopy when esophageal variceal bleeds.Therefore,it is important to develop a non-invasive model to early diagnose esophageal varices.AIM To develop a non-invasive predictive model for esophageal varices based on liver and spleen volume in viral cirrhosis patients.METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study based on viral cirrhosis crowd in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University.By collecting the basic information and clinical data of the participants,we derived the independent risk factors and established the prediction model of esophageal varices.The established model was compared with other models.Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve,calibration plot and decision curve analysis were used to test the discriminating ability,calibration ability and clinical practicability in both the internal and external validation.RESULTS The portal vein diameter,the liver and spleen volume,and volume change rate were the independent risk factors of esophageal varices.We successfully used the factors to establish the predictive model[area under the curve(AUC)0.87,95%CI:0.80-0.95],which showed better predictive value than other models.The model showed good discriminating ability,calibration ability and the clinical practicability in both modelling group and external validation group.CONCLUSION The developed non-invasive predictive model can be used as an effective tool for predicting esophageal varices in viral cirrhosis patients.

Non-invasive model for predicting high-risk esophageal varices based on liver and spleen stiffness

BACKGROUND Acute bleeding due to esophageal varices(EVs)is a life-threatening complication in patients with cirrhosis.The diagnosis of EVs is mainly through upper gastrointestinal endoscopy,but the discomfort,contraindications and complications of gastrointestinal endoscopic screening reduce patient compliance.According to the bleeding risk of EVs,the Baveno VI consensus divides varices into high bleeding risk EVs(HEVs)and low bleeding risk EVs(LEVs).We sought to identify a non-invasive prediction model based on spleen stiffness measurement(SSM)and liver stiffness measurement(LSM)as an alternative to EVs screening.AIM To develop a safe,simple and non-invasive model to predict HEVs in patients with viral cirrhosis and identify patients who can be exempted from upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.METHODS Data from 200 patients with viral cirrhosis were included in this study,with 140 patients as the modelling group and 60 patients as the external validation group,and the EVs types of patients were determined by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and the Baveno Ⅵ consensus.Those patients were divided into the HEVs group(66 patients)and the LEVs group(74 patients).The effect of each parameter on HEVs was analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses,and a noninvasive prediction model was established.Finally,the discrimination ability,calibration ability and clinical efficacy of the new model were verified in the modelling group and the external validation group.RESULTS Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that SSM and LSM were associated with the occurrence of HEVs in patients with viral cirrhosis.On this basis,logistic regression analysis was used to construct a prediction model:Ln[P/(1-P)]=-8.184-0.228×SSM+0.642×LSM.The area under the curve of the new model was 0.965.When the cut-off value was 0.27,the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the model for predicting HEVs were 100.00%,82.43%,83.52%,and 100%,respectively.Compared with the four prediction models of liver stiffness-spleen diameter to platelet ratio score,variceal risk index,aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio,and Baveno VI,the established model can better predict HEVs in patients with viral cirrhosis.CONCLUSION Based on the SSM and LSM measured by transient elastography,we established a non-invasive prediction model for HEVs.The new model is reliable in predicting HEVs and can be used as an alternative to routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy screening,which is helpful for clinical decision making.

Effect of CT-Guided Microwave Ablation Combined with TACE on Liver Function and Survival of Patients with Primary Liver Cancer

Objective:To explore the effect of transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)+CT-guided microwave ablation(MWA)on treating patients with primary liver cancer.Methods:78 primary liver cancer cases were enrolled and divided into groups according to their assigned surgical plans.The control group was treated with TACE alone,and the observation group was treated with TACE+CT-guided MWA.The efficacy of the treatment and the liver function indicators and follow-up results of the patients of the two groups were compared.Results:The efficacy of the treatment received by the observation group was higher than that of the control group.Besides,the patients in the observation group exhibited better improvement in liver function indicators after 3 months of treatment.Furthermore,the survival rates of 1 and 2 years after surgery of the observation group were all higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:TACE combined with CT-guided MWA is more effective in treating primary liver cancer compared to TACE alone.Besides,it resulted in better improvement of liver function and long-term survival rate.Therefore,this treatment regime should be popularized.

Letter to editor‘Non-invasive model for predicting high-risk esophageal varices based on liver and spleen stiffness’

predicting high-risk esophageal varices based on liver and spleen stiffness".Acute bleeding caused by esophageal varices is a life-threatening complication in patients with liver cirrhosis.Due to the discomfort,contraindications,and associated complications of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy screening,it is crucial to identify an imaging-based non-invasive model for predicting high-risk esophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis.

Clinical Observation on Modified Huan'gan Lipi Decoction Combined with Acupuncture in Treating Spleen Deficiency and Liver Hyperactivity Type Tic Disorders

[Objectives]To observe the clinical efficacy of Modified Huan'gan Lipi Decoction combined with acupuncture in the treatment of spleen deficiency and liver hyperactivity type tic disorders(TD).[Methods]Sixty patients with spleen deficiency and liver hyperactivity type TD were randomly divided into a treatment group of 40 cases and a control group of 20 cases.The treatment group received Modified Huan'gan Lipi Decoction combined with acupuncture,and the control group received Haloperidol Tablets.After 4 weeks of treatment,the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale(YGTSS)score,the total score of TCM syndrome and the clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.[Results]After treatment,the total effective rate of 87.5%in the treatment group was higher than 80.0%in the control group(P>0.05);the total score of YGTSS and the total score of TCM syndromes in the two groups were compared within groups,P﹤0.01;between groups,P﹤0.01.The recurrence rates of the treatment group and the control group were 11.1%and 71.4%,respectively.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P﹤0.01).[Conclusions]Modified Huan'gan Lipi Decoction combined with acupuncture in the treatment of spleen deficiency and liver hyperactivity type TD can significantly improve the patient's tic symptoms,and its long-term efficacy is stable.

Liver,biliary tract,pancreas,spleen

209178 Long-term prevention of virus recurrence among recipients with HBV active replication following liver transplantation/Dai Jun(Liver Transplant Center,West Chin Hosp,Sichuan Univ,Chengdu 610041)…∥Chin J Hepatobil Surg.-2009,15(2).-106~109Objective To investigate the long-term prophylactic outcome in recipierts with HBV active replication under LAM or/and HBIG prophylaxis after liver transplantation.Methods The liver biopsy specimens and serum samples were collected during the follow-up.ELISA and chemiluminesent microparticle immunoassay,HBV-DNA fluorescent quantification,immunohistochemisty and HBV-DNA in situ hybridization were performed for analysis.The alteratio of HBV markers in serial biopsy and sera of 55 recipients were investigated retrospectively.Results The mean time of follow-up was 69.14 months.Twelve cases had hepatitis B virus reinfection after transplantation.The accumulated ratio of hepatitis B virus reinfection was 4.8%(2/42)in LAM+HBIG group and 76.9%(10/13) in LAM monoprophylaxis group(P=0.000).The 1-,2-,3-and 4-yr,survival rates in combined prophylaxis group were 100%,97.1%,92.7% and 92.7%,respectively.The 1-,2-,3-and 4-yr survival rates in LAM mono prophylaxis group were 76.9%,69.2%,53.8% and 46.2%,respectively(P=0.000).The rates of hepatitis B virus reinfection in combination prophylaxis group(1-,2-,3-and 4-yr recurrence rates of 2.4%,2.4%,2.4%,and 8.5%,respectively) was markedly lower than those in mono prophylaxis group(1-,2-,3-and 4-yr recurrence rates of 16.1%,41.3%,66.4% and 66.4%,respectively)(P=0.000).Conclusion Currently HBIG combined with LAM is an optimal prophylatic protocol to reduce the hepatitis B virus reifection rate.However,poor compliance of recipients to a prescribed course of prophylaxis as well as viral staus itself is still the main cause of hepatitis B virus reinfection after liver transplantation in China.Compliance education and adjusting the prophylatic protocols according to the viral alteration after liver transplantation may help to further decrease the hepatitis B virus reinfection rate.17 refs,4 tabs.

Study on the Characteristics of Gut Microbiota in Chronic Hepatitis B(CHB)Patients with Damp Heat Syndrome and Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency Syndrome

Objective:This study was designed to explore the characteristics of gut microbiota in CHB patients with two most common traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)Syndromes—damp heat syndrome and liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome.Methods:According to the diagnostic criteria of Western medicine,TCM and screening exclusion criteria,65 cases of CHB with damp heat syndrome and 28 cases of CHB with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome were finally included in the study.All the basic information was gathered and the fresh fecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing.16S rDNA of gut microbiota was sequenced using Illumina hiseq 2,500 high-throughput sequencing platform.Based on the optimized sequence,Operational Taxonomic Units(OTU)clustering analysis and taxonomic annotation were carried out.Results:The difference in relative abundance of gut microbiota was significant between damp heat syndrome and liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome in CHB patients.Cyanobacteria was only found in damp heat syndrome.The relative abundance of Erysipelotrichia and Subdoligranulum were higher in liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome,while the relative abundance of Rhodospirillales,Alphaproteobacteria and Lachnospira were higher in the damp heat syndrome.LDA Effect Size(LEfSe)analysis showed that Lachnospira,Olsenella and Subdoligranulum had significant difference in species among the two TCM syndromes.Conclusion:The different characteristics of gut microbiota in the two TCM syndromes of CHB patients may play an important role in syndrome formation of TCM,which provides a new field of vision for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of TCM.

肝癌TACE前后癌灶及癌旁CT灌注成像血流定量变化及指导疗效评估的价值

目的探讨肝癌肝动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)前后癌灶及癌旁计算机断层扫描灌注成像(CTPI)血流定量变化及指导疗效评估的价值。方法回顾性选取2022年8月至2024年3月在本院行TACE治疗的肝癌患者63例,均分别于TACE术前1~3d及术后7d进行CTPI检查,对比肿瘤组织与癌旁1cm组织手术前后肝血流量(BF)、肝血容量(BV)、平均通过时间(MTT)、肝动脉灌注指数(HPI)、肝动脉灌注量(HAP)、门静脉灌注量(PVP)变化情况。根据术后7d肝癌患者疗效情况分为有效组和无效组,对比两组手术前后上述血流灌注参数变化,绘制受试者工作曲线(ROC)分析CTPI血流参数对肝癌患者疗效的评估价值。结果术前、术后肿瘤组织BF、BV、HPI、HAP均高于癌旁1cm组织,PVP、MTT均低于癌旁1cm组织(P<0.05);术后,肿瘤组织BF、BV、HPI、HAP水平较术前均降低(P<0.05),PVP、MTT均升高但与术前比较无差异(P>0.05);术后癌旁1cm组织上述参数水平较术前无变化(P>0.05)。TACE后7d肝癌患者有效率为65.07%(41/63),无效34.92%(22/63)。有效组手术前后△BF、△BV、△HPI、△HAP、△PVP、△MTT与无效组比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。ROC结果显示,△BF、△BV、△HPI、△HAP、△PVP、△MTT及其联合检测评估肝癌患者TACE疗效的曲线下面积(AUC)分别为0.703、0.751、0.737、0.746、0.770、0.732、0.928(P均<0.05)。结论TACE后肝癌患者肿瘤组织的BF、BV、HPI、HAP均下降,PVP、MTT均升高,但癌旁组织上述指标无变化,临床可通过CTPI血流定量变化对肝癌患者早期疗效予以准确评估。

能谱CT联合VEGF预测120例肝癌TACE术后碘油沉积

目的探究能谱CT定量分析联合血清血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)水平检测在肝癌经导管肝动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)后碘油沉积中的预测价值。方法收集2020年1月至2022年3月三门峡市中心医院行TACE术的120例肝癌病人作为研究对象,并将其分为A组(TACE术后碘油沉积面积>50%)和B组(TACE术后碘油沉积面积≤50%);同时分为C组(TACE术后碘油沉积区)和D组(TACE术后无碘油沉积区)。采用能谱CT检测肝癌病人TACE术前碘浓度及术后碘油沉积情况,计算动脉期标准化碘浓度(ANIC)、静脉期标准化碘浓度(VNIC)、肝脏标准化碘浓度比率(ICratio,ICratio=ANIC/VNIC),采用酶联免疫吸附法检测血清VEGF水平;绘制ROC曲线分析术前碘浓度及血清VEGF水平预测肝癌TACE术后碘油沉积情况的价值;采用多因素logistic回归分析肝癌TACE术后碘油沉积情况的影响因素。结果B组与A组肿瘤分期Ⅲ+Ⅳ期(60.29%比19.23%)、组织低分化(47.06%比23.08%)、血管侵犯(63.24%比11.54%)比例及ANIC(0.18±0.06比0.26±0.08)、VNIC(0.40±0.10比0.54±0.12)、血清VEGF[(284.56±78.17)ng/L比(225.74±61.05)ng/L]水平差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。VEGF、组织分化程度是肝癌TACE术后1个月碘油沉积面积≤50%的影响因素(P<0.05)。D组与C组ANIC(0.15±0.04比0.24±0.07)、VNIC(0.44±0.09比0.53±0.10)、ICratio(0.34±0.08比0.45±0.09)差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论能谱CT定量分析联合血清VEGF水平检测可较好地预测肝癌TACE术后碘油沉积情况。

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver and spleen diagnosed by percutaneous needle biopsy

An inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) is a relatively rare lesion characterized by chronic inf iltration of inflammatory cells and areas of f ibrosis. IPTs are diff icult to diagnose because of the absence of specif ic symptoms or of characteristic hematological or radiological f indings. In this study, a case of a woman aged over 70 years was reported, who presented with a general malaise lasting more than two months. A computed tomography scan demonstrated a diffusely spread lesion of the liver with a portal vein occlusion and a splenic lesion surrounded by a soft density layer. Since the percutaneous liver biopsy showed f indings that suggested an IPT, although the radiological f indings did not exclude the possibility of a malignancy, we performed a percutaneous spleen biopsy to enable a more defi nitive diagnosis. The microscopic f indings from the spleen specimen lead us to a diagnosis of IPT involving the liver and spleen. Sub-sequent steroid pulse therapy was effective, and rapid resolution of the disease was observed.

Liver and spleen volume variations in patients with hepatic fibrosis

AIM： To study the liver and spleen volume variations in hepatic fibrosis patients at different histopathological stages. METHODS： Multidetector computed tomography （MDCT） scan was performed in 85 hepatic fibrosis patients. Liver volume （LV） and spleen volume （SV） were measured. Fifteen healthy individuals served as a control group （SO）. The patients were divided into stage 1 （S1） group （n = 34）, stage 2 （S2） group （n = 25）, stage 3 （S3） group （n = 16）, and stage 4 （S4） group （n = 10） according to their histopathological stage of liver fibrosis. RESULTS： The LV and standard LV （SLV） had a tendency to increase with the severity of fibrosis, but no statistical difference was observed in the 5 groups （LV： F = 0.245, P = 0.912; SLV： F = 1.902, P = 0.116）. The SV was gradually increased with the severity of fibrosis, and a statistically significant difference in SV was observed among the 5 groups （P 〈 0.01）. The LV/SV ratio and SLV/SV ratio were gradually decreased with the aggravation of hepatic fibrosis, and statistically significant differences in both LV/SV and SLV/SV were found among the 5 groups （P 〈 0.01）.CONCLUSION： The absence of obvious LV reduction in patients with chronic liver disease may be a morphological index of patients without liver cirrhosis. The SV is related to the severity of fibrosis, and the spleen of patients with advanced fibrosis is enlarged evidently. The LV/SV ratio and SLV/SV ratio are of a significant clinical value in the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis.

增强CT及MRI诊断原发性肝癌经导管动脉化疗栓塞后残留及病变的研究

目的本研究旨在探讨磁共振成像(MRI)和增强CT(CECT)对原发性肝癌(primary liver cancer,PHC)经导管动脉化疗栓塞术(transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,TACE)后残留和新发病灶的诊断价值和准确性。方法研究对象为扬州大学第四临床医学院2021年1月至2022年1月收治的72例PHC患者,共92个病灶。所有患者均行TACE治疗,术后6个月随访。此外,所有患者均行数字减影血管造影(digital subtraction angiography,DSA)检查,并以DSA结果为金标准,评价MRI和CECT对肝癌患者TACE术后残留和新发病灶的诊断价值和准确性。结果两种诊断方法的特异性差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),但MRI的诊断准确率和敏感性明显高于CECT(P<0.05)。MRI检出的残留和新发病灶数明显高于多层螺旋CT(MSCT)(P<0.05),不同类型碘油沉积的PHC患者TACE后残留和新发病灶的检出率明显高于CECT(P<0.05)。术后MRI诊断的肿瘤包膜数明显高于CECT(P<0.05)。两种诊断方法对术后动脉期残余强化征象的评分差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。此外,两种诊断方法对门静脉癌栓诊断及术后病变的血供来源无显著差异(P>0.05)。结论MRI对肝癌患者TACE术后残存和新发病灶的诊断准确率和敏感性均高于CECT。然而,这两种诊断方法在门静脉癌栓的诊断、病变的血供来源以及术后动脉期残余强化的评分上是相似的。

用于腹部CT肝脏肿瘤分割的注意力引导模型

针对肝脏肿瘤在腹部CT影像中占比低,人为分割与传统分割效果、性能差的问题,本文提出一种高效的两阶段注意力引导的肝脏肿瘤分割模型,该模型由肝脏器官分割模块和肝脏肿瘤分割模块构成。肝脏器官分割模块中凭借卷积神经网络得到肝脏器官分割图像作为输出,和原始CT影像叠加得到新的输入影像,最后将新输入图像导入肝脏肿瘤分割模块得到精确的肝脏肿瘤分割影像,给出了每个模块的损失函数以监督训练。利用肝脏肿瘤分割挑战提供的数据集进行了实验研究和定性比较分析。结果在Dice系数等指标上优于其他模型,提高了肝脏肿瘤分割准确率和肝脏肿瘤区域定位准确率,从而使分割出的肝脏肿瘤更接近真实边界。

Multi-slice spiral CT angiography in evaluating donors of living-related liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: During the past years, the number of liver transplantation has increased greatly, but the number of available organs has not increased. In view of the critical shortage of organs, the indications for living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) have broadened since experience with the procedure has been achieved. This study was undertaken to assess the value of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) angiography in evaluating the hepatic arterial and veinous anatomy of potential donors for LRLT. METHODS: MSCT was performed after intravenous injection of contrast material at 3 ml/s. The total dose was calculated as 2 ml/kg. Twenty LRLT donors (2 men and 18 women) were subjected to MSCT angiography of hepatic blood vessels. These were generated by volume rendering and maximum intensity projection, while curved planar reformation was added in 5 patients. RESULTS: We identified 10 important hepatic vascular variants in 9 of the 20 donors (4 arterial, 4 venous, and 2 portal venous variants). In hepatic arterial variants, two had a replaced right hepatic artery arising from the superior mesenteric artery, an accessory right hepatic artery from the superior mesenteric artery and a replaced left hepatic artery arising from the left gastric artery. In hepatic venous variants, three had an accessory inferior right hepatic vein and one had two accessory inferior right hepatic veins. In hepatic portal venous variants, two had trifurcation of the main portal vein. CONCLUSIONS: As a non-invasive and reliable method, MSCT angiography is of value in the clinical evaluation of LRLT donors. MSCT angiography should be recommended as a routine preoperative examination for potential LRLT donors.