Anatomically based simulation of hepatic perfusion in the human liver

Area of Science:

• Computational fluid dynamics
• Medical imaging
• Hepatology

Background:

• Accurate modeling of hepatic perfusion is crucial for understanding liver function and disease.
• Existing models often lack detailed representation of microvasculature, limiting their clinical applicability.
• Computed tomography (CT) imaging provides detailed anatomical data for patient-specific modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computational model of hepatic perfusion in a healthy subject.
• To integrate organ-level and tissue-level models of liver vasculature.
• To establish a computational foundation for a surgical planning tool.

Main Methods:

• Digitization and segmentation of liver structures from CT images.
• Modeling hepatic artery and portal vein flow using structured tree-based outflow boundary conditions.
• Modeling hepatic vein flow using a three-element Windkessel model.

Main Results:

• Physiologically reasonable results for hepatic perfusion were obtained.
• The structured tree model effectively represents microvasculature down to liver lobules.
• The model incorporates multiple generations of hepatic vessels for detailed analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed model enables efficient analysis of complex clinical phenomena, such as portal pressure gradients.
• This approach can help validate indirect measures of portal pressure like hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG).
• The model provides a computational basis for a potential surgical tool for liver classification and planning.