[Follow-up computed tomography in patients operated on for liver malignancies]

The aim of the investigation was to study a role of computed tomography (CT) in choosing treatment policy for patients after hepatectomy. In 186 patients with liver malignancies, 558 follow-up studies were performed 3 months to 8 years after surgery and adjuvant treatment.

the permanent change of the liver, which is detectable at postoperative CT, is its outline deformity. Inverted (87%), irregular (56%), and, less frequently, convex (13%) outlines were identified. Among 41 patients who had postoperatively undergone adjuvant chemoembolization, 7 (17%) patients were seen to have a local compact lipidiol concentration adjacent to the resection plane. CT carried out in 19 patients with suspected postoperative complications could recognize the cause of complications (liver abscesses, abdominal fluid, bilomas) in 15 (78.9%) cases. In 20 patients, compact lipidiol accumulation in the vicinity of the resection plane was the most common, but not pathognomonic sign of tumor resection in the resection plane. Thus, CT plays an important role in the follow-up of patients after liver resections for malignancies in both the early and late postoperative periods.