Standard formula for liver volume in Middle Eastern Arabic adults

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Accurate estimation of standard liver volume (SLV) is crucial for surgical planning and assessing liver disease.
• Existing SLV formulas are primarily derived from Eastern and Western populations, potentially limiting their accuracy in diverse ethnic groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel formula for estimating SLV specifically in Middle Eastern Arabic adults.
• To compare the accuracy of the newly derived formula and existing SLV formulas against computed tomography-measured liver volumes.

Main Methods:

• Computed tomography (CT) liver volume (CTLV) was measured in 351 Saudi Arabian adults.
• Multiple-step linear regression analysis correlated CTLV with demographic and anthropometric data (age, sex, height, weight, BMI, BSA).
• CTLV was compared to 12 established SLV formulas, with error calculated as (SLV - CTLV)/CTLV × 100.

Main Results:

• Body weight was the sole significant predictor for CTLV, yielding the formula: 12.26 × body weight (kg) + 555.65 (R² = .37).
• The Vauthey formula demonstrated the least mean percentage error (+1%) and the closest agreement (62.4% within ±16% error), with no significant difference from CTLV (P = .26).
• Most other formulas showed statistically significant differences from actual measurements, though with mean errors under 12%.

Conclusions:

• The newly derived formula and the Vauthey formula are suitable for estimating SLV in Middle Eastern Arabic adults.
• A moderate coefficient of determination (R² = .37) indicates significant interindividual variation.
• Caution is advised when applying these formulas for preoperative liver volume assessment.