Background/aims: The relationship between liver regeneration and spleen volume after partial hepatectomy was studied with computed tomography (CT) in 13 patients with chronic liver disease (chronic active hepatitis: 2, pre-liver cirrhosis: 3, liver cirrhosis: 8).
Materials and methods: Liver and spleen volumes were measured by abdominal CT before hepatectomy and 1 and 2 years after operation, and the percent volumes of the liver and spleen of abdominal capacity were compared.
Results: While the residual liver volume increased in all patients after 1 year, it continued to increase in 7 patients (percent recovery: 102 +/- 4.8%) but had decreased in 5 patients (90.0 +/- 4.8%) after 2 years. The mean spleen volume 2 years after hepatectomy was 2.8 +/- 0.9% in the former, and 6.0 +/- 1.2% in the latter. The percent increase in liver volume was inversely related to the spleen volume (r = -0.707). In a case of transcatheter splenic arterial embolization, the liver volume continued to be increase despite splenomegaly.
Conclusion: Splenic volume is suggested to be related to the process of recovery of the liver.