Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

3D CT modeling of hepatic vessel architecture and volume calculation in living donated liver transplantation

  • Hepatobiliary–Pancreas
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate a software tool for non-invasive preoperative volumetric assessment of potential donors in living donated liver transplantation (LDLT). Biphasic helical CT was performed in 56 potential donors. Data sets were post-processed using a non-commercial software tool for segmentation, volumetric analysis and visualisation of liver segments. Semi-automatic definition of liver margins allowed the segmentation of parenchyma. Hepatic vessels were delineated using a region-growing algorithm with automatically determined thresholds. Volumes and shapes of liver segments were calculated automatically based on individual portal-venous branches. Results were visualised three-dimensionally and statistically compared with conventional volumetry and the intraoperative findings in 27 transplanted cases. Image processing was easy to perform within 23 min. Of the 56 potential donors, 27 were excluded from LDLT because of inappropriate liver parenchyma or vascular architecture. Two recipients were not transplanted due to poor clinical conditions. In the 27 transplanted cases, preoperatively visualised vessels were confirmed, and only one undetected accessory hepatic vein was revealed. Calculated graft volumes were 1110±180 ml for right lobes, 820 ml for the left lobe and 270±30 ml for segments II+III. The calculated volumes and intraoperatively measured graft volumes correlated significantly. No significant differences between the presented automatic volumetry and the conventional volumetry were observed. A novel image processing technique was evaluated which allows a semi-automatic volume calculation and 3D visualisation of the different liver segments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3A, B
Fig. 4A, B
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Emond JC, Renz JF, Ferrell LD, Rosenthal P, Lim RC, Roberts JP, Lake JR, Ascher NL (1996) Functional analysis of grafts from living donors: implications for the treatment of older recipients. Ann Surg 224:544–554

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ishifuro M, Horiguchi J, Nakashige A, Tamura A, Marukawa K, Fukuda H, Ono C, Akiyama Y, Kushima T, Ito K (2002) Use of multidetector-row CT with volume renderings in right lobe living liver transplantation. Eur Radiol 12:2477–2483

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kamel IR, Kruskal JB, Warmbrand G, Goldberg SN, Pomfret EA, Raptopoulos V (2001) Accuracy of volumetric measurements after virtual right hepatectomy in potential donors undergoing living adult liver transplantation. AJR 176:483–487

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Schroeder T, Nadalin S, Stattaus J, Debatin JF, Malagó M, Ruehm SG (2002) Potential living liver donors: evaluation with an all-in-one protocol with multidetector-row CT. Radiology 224:586–591

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lamade W, Glombitza G, Fischer L, Chiu P, Cardenas CE, Thorn M, Meinzer HP, Grenacher L, Bauer H, Lehnert T, Herfarth C (2000) The impact of 3-dimensional reconstructions on operation planning in liver surgery. Arch Surg 135:1256–1261

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Selle D, Spindler W, Schenk A (2000) Computerized models minimize surgical risk. Diagn Imaging Europe 12:16–20

    Google Scholar 

  7. Schenk A, Prause G, Peitgen HO (2001) Local cost computation for efficient segmentation of 3D objects with Live Wire. Medical imaging: image processing. Proc SPIE 4322:1357–1364

    Google Scholar 

  8. Schenk A, Prause G, Peitgen HO (2000) Efficient semiautomatic segmentation of 3D objects in medical images. Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention (MICCAI 2000). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 186–195

  9. Selle D, Peitgen HO (2001) Analysis of the morphology and structure of vessel systems using skeletonization. SPIE Med Imaging 4321:271–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Selle D, Preim B, Schenk A, Peitgen HO (2002) Analysis of vasculature for liver surgical planning. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 21:1–15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Alpern MB, Lawson TL, Foley WD, Perlman SJ, Reif LJ, Arevalos E, Rimm AA (1986) Focal hepatic masses and fatty infiltration detected by enhanced dynamic CT. Radiology 158:45–49

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Heymsfield SB, Fulenwider T, Nordlinger B, Barlow R, Sones P, Kutner M (1979) Measurement of liver, kidney and spleen volume and mass by computed axial tomography. Ann Intern Med 90:185–187

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Van Thiel DH, Hagler NG, Schade RR, Skolnick ML, Heyl AP, Rosenblum E, Gavaler JS, Penkrot RJ (1985) In vivo hepatic volume determination using sonography and computed tomography: validation and comparison of the two techniques. Gastroenterology 88:1812–1817

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bland JM, Altman DG (1986) Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Lancet 8476:307–310

    Google Scholar 

  15. Fan ST, Lo CM, Liu CL, Yong BH, Chan JK, Ng IO (2000) Safety of donors in live-donor liver transplantation using right lobe grafts. Arch Surg 135:336–340

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kiuchi T, Kasahara M, Uryuhara K, Inomata Y, Uemoto S, Asonuma K, Egawa H, Fujita S, Hayashi M, Tanaka K (1999) Impact of graft-size mismatching on graft prognosis in liver transplantation from living donors. Transplantation 67:321–327

    Google Scholar 

  17. Luccichenti G, Cademartiri F, Cobelli R, Pavone P (2003) Assessment of organ volume with different techniques using a living liver model. Eur Radiol 13:1286–1290

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Gao L, Heath DG, Kuszyk BS, Fishman EK (1996) Automatic liver segmentation technique for three-dimensional visualization of CT data. Radiology 201:359–364

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kawasaki S, Makuuchi M, Matsunami H, Hashikura Y, Ikegami T, Chisuwa H, Ikeno T, Noike T, Takayama T, Kawarazaki H (1993) Preoperative measurement of segmental liver volume of donors for living related liver transplantation. Hepatology 18:1115–1120

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Schiano TD, Bodian C, Schwartz ME, Glajchen N, Min AD (2000) Accuracy and significance of computed tomographic scan assessment of hepatic volume in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Transplantation 69:545–550

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Sandrasegaran K, Kwo PW, DiGirolamo D, Stockberger SM, Cummings OW, Kopecky KK (1999) Measurement of liver volume using spiral CT and the curved line and cubic spline algoriths: reproducibility and interobserver variation. Abdom Imaging 24:61–65

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Bernd B. Frericks

    Present address: Klinik und Poliklinik für Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200, Berlin, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Diagnostische Radiologie, Hannover, Germany

    Bernd B. Frericks, Franco C. Caldarone, Dagmar Högemann Savellano, Georg Stamm, Timm D. Kirchhoff, Hoen-Oh Shin & Michael Galanski

  2. Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Viszeral und Transplantationschirurgie, Hannover, Germany

    Björn Nashan & Jürgen Klempnauer

  3. Centrum für Medizinische Diagnosesysteme und Visualisierung, Bremen, Germany

    Andrea Schenk, Dirk Selle, Wolf Spindler & Heinz-Otto Peitgen

Authors
  1. Bernd B. Frericks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Franco C. Caldarone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Björn Nashan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dagmar Högemann Savellano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Georg Stamm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Timm D. Kirchhoff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hoen-Oh Shin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Andrea Schenk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Dirk Selle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Wolf Spindler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Jürgen Klempnauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Heinz-Otto Peitgen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Michael Galanski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bernd B. Frericks.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Frericks, B.B., Caldarone, F.C., Nashan, B. et al. 3D CT modeling of hepatic vessel architecture and volume calculation in living donated liver transplantation. Eur Radiol 14, 326–333 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-003-2161-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-003-2161-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation