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. 2017 Dec;93(6):300-304.
doi: 10.4174/astr.2017.93.6.300. Epub 2017 Dec 1.

Quantitative assessment of liver fibrosis using shore durometer

Young Chul Yoon  1 , Jun Suh Lee  1 , Sang Uk Park  1 , Jung Hyun Kwon  2 , Tae Ho Hong  3 , Dong Goo Kim  3
Affiliations

Quantitative assessment of liver fibrosis using shore durometer

Young Chul Yoon et al. Ann Surg Treat Res. 2017 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether hardness of liver surface correlated with degree of liver fibrosis, and its association with posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF).

Methods: A shore durometer was used to measure hepatic hardness in 41 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in 10 patients with normal liver. We investigated how hepatic hardness correlates with various values indicating the degree of liver fibrosis, and how it correlates with PHLF.

Results: In the normal liver group, the surface shore units (SU) was 15.06 ± 2.64. In the HCC group, there was a correlation between surface SU and preoperative results indicating liver fibrosis. Among patients with PHLF after resecting over 3 segments, the surface SU of patients with grade A PHLF was 21.85 ± 5.63, and the surface SU of patients with grade C PHLF was 35.75 ± 9.26. In patients with PHLF after resecting 2 or less segments, the surface SU of patients with PHLF grade A was 20.95 ± 5.18, and the surface SU of patients with PHLF grade B was 31.60 ± 5.57. In predicting PHLF, surface SU was more effective than preoperative platelet count, spleen volume, or liver fibrosis index.

Conclusion: Hepatic hardness measured by the shore durometer was correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis. Liver surface SU was a more effective parameter for predicting PHLF, as compared to other indicators evaluated before hepatectomy. The decision to perform major hepatectomy should be reconsidered in cases with a liver surface SU of >30.

Keywords: Hardness tests; Hepatectomy; Hepatic fibrosis; Liver failure; Liver function tests.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Technique of intraoperative durometer measurement of hepatic hardness.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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