More precise measurement of irregular splenic volume in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension

Background and aims

Splenomegaly often occurs in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension (PHT), and therefore, the efficacy and accuracy of conventional methods for measuring splenic volume are a matter of question in these patients. Here, we developed a novel approach to assess true splenic volume more precisely.

Methods

High-quality thin-slice computed tomography data of 112 cirrhotic patients with PHT were obtained and reviewed. Both the conventional measurement and a novel formula obtained from 3-dimensional reconstruction software were used to estimate splenic volume, and the accuracy was compared and verified.

Results

In PHT patients, the splenic volume calculated using the conventional method was significantly less than that calculated using the 3-dimensional software. We found that the splenic volume was significantly positively correlated with splenic indices of length (L), thickness (T), and width (W) and also the diameter of the splenic vein. Using these indices, we propose 2 novel formulas using the software to estimate the splenic volume more accurately: SV = 69.686 × L + 53.077 × W + 103.525 × T + 314.510 × diameter of splenic vein −2266.209 (p < 0.01, R² = 0.805). And a more practical simplified formula: SV' = 0.504 × L × W × Τ + 319.762 × diameter of splenic vein −81.66 (p < 0.01, R² = 0.784).

Conclusion

Although the conventional formula has been widely used for years, it is not suitable for an enlarged spleen. We developed 2 novel formulas for estimating splenic volume from clinical data that were more appropriate for cirrhotic patients with PHT.