Decrease in Psoas Muscle Mass and Density Following Liver Transplantation Is Greatest in Patients With the Highest...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Transplantation Surgery
• Radiology
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Sarcopenia is a significant predictor of morbidity and mortality in liver transplant (LT) recipients.
• Psoas muscle area (PAI) and mean Hounsfield units (mHU) are key CT-derived metrics for assessing sarcopenia.
• Limited data exists on psoas muscle changes pre- and post-LT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in psoas muscle area and density before and after liver transplantation.
• To analyze the impact of pre-transplant sarcopenia severity on post-transplant muscle changes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pre- and post-transplant CT scans from 104 adult liver transplant recipients.
• Quantification of Psoas Area Index (PAI) and mean Hounsfield units (mHU) for muscle mass and density.
• Stratification of results by pre-transplant PAI quartiles.

Main Results:

• Overall decrease in PAI (12%) and mHU (7%) post-LT.
• The most significant reductions in PAI (-15%) and mHU (-15%) were observed in patients with the highest baseline muscle mass and density.
• No correlation found between PAI and mHU changes.

Conclusions:

• Liver transplantation is associated with decreased psoas muscle mass and density.
• Patients with higher baseline muscle mass experience the most substantial muscle loss post-transplant.
• Muscle changes post-LT are influenced by multiple factors, warranting further investigation.