An anatomic and morphometric analysis of splenic variability using 3D reconstruction and spatial orientation from...

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging
• Biometry

Background:

• The spleen is frequently affected in abdominal trauma, contributing to high mortality rates.
• Quantitative morphometry of the spleen, particularly its shape and spatial orientation, remains under-investigated.
• Understanding healthy spleen variability is essential for clinical applications and computational modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze healthy spleen variability in terms of shape and spatial orientation.
• To correlate splenic morphometric parameters with anthropometric characteristics.
• To provide data for integrating splenic morphology into its anatomical environment for numerical modeling.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 90 abdominopelvic CT-scans from a Mediterranean population (patients >16 years, no splenic pathology).
• Three-dimensional reconstructions to measure spleen volume, characteristic checkpoints, orientation, and morphology.
• Correlation of splenic parameters with anthropometric data including waist circumference, costo-xiphoid angle, abdominal height, and chest depth.

Main Results:

• Three splenic morphologies were observed: cupped (66.7%), coiled (17.8%), and flat (15.5%).
• Splenic shape was predominantly abdominal (54.5%) or dorsal (45.5%).
• Significant correlations found between splenic volume and gender, splenic morphology and liver morphometry, and hilar surface orientation and splenic morphometry. Spleens were more horizontal in women, the elderly, and obese individuals.

Conclusions:

• This study categorizes healthy spleen shapes into three distinct groups.
• Established correlations between splenic variability parameters and anthropometric characteristics.
• Findings are vital for advancing numerical modeling in splenic research and understanding splenic behavior in different populations.