<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Background</h3>
<p>Liver transplantation offers curative treatment to patients with acute and chronic end-stage liver disease. The impact of nutritional status on postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation remains poorly understood. The present study investigated the predictive value of radiologically assessed skeletal muscle index (SMI) and myosteatosis (MI) on postoperative outcomes.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Patients and methods</h3>
<p>Data of 138 adult patients who underwent their first orthotopic liver transplantation were retrospectively analysed. SMI and MI in computer tomography (CT) scan at the third lumbar vertebra level were calculated. Results were analyzed for the length of hospitalisation and postoperative outcomes.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Results</h3>
<p>In 63% of male and 28.9% of female recipients, low SMI was found. High MI was found in 45(32.6%) patients. Male patients with high SMI had longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay (P &lt; 0.025). Low SMI had no influence on ICU stay in female patients (P = 0.544), length of hospitalisation (male, P > 0.05; female, P = 0.843), postoperative complication rates (males, P = 0.883; females, P = 0.113), infection rate (males, P = 0.293, females, P = 0.285) and graft rejection (males, P = 0.875; females, P = 0.135). The presence of MI did not influence ICU stay (P = 0.161), hospitalization (P = 0.771), postoperative complication rates (P = 0.467), infection rate (P = 0.173) or graft rejection rate (P = 0.173).</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>In our study, changes in body composition of liver transplant recipients observed with SMI and MI had no impact on postoperative course after liver transplantation. CT body composition analysis of recipients and uniformly accepted cut-off points are crucial to producing reliable data in the future.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Background
Liver transplantation offers curative treatment to patients with acute and chronic end-stage liver disease. The impact of nutritional status on postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation remains poorly understood. The present study investigated the predictive value of radiologically assessed skeletal muscle index (SMI) and myosteatosis (MI) on postoperative outcomes.

Patients and methods
Data of 138 adult patients who underwent their first orthotopic liver transplantation were retrospectively analysed. SMI and MI in computer tomography (CT) scan at the third lumbar vertebra level were calculated. Results were analyzed for the length of hospitalisation and postoperative outcomes.

Results
In 63% of male and 28.9% of female recipients, low SMI was found. High MI was found in 45(32.6%) patients. Male patients with high SMI had longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay (P < 0.025). Low SMI had no influence on ICU stay in female patients (P = 0.544), length of hospitalisation (male, P > 0.05; female, P = 0.843), postoperative complication rates (males, P = 0.883; females, P = 0.113), infection rate (males, P = 0.293, females, P = 0.285) and graft rejection (males, P = 0.875; females, P = 0.135). The presence of MI did not influence ICU stay (P = 0.161), hospitalization (P = 0.771), postoperative complication rates (P = 0.467), infection rate (P = 0.173) or graft rejection rate (P = 0.173).

Conclusions
In our study, changes in body composition of liver transplant recipients observed with SMI and MI had no impact on postoperative course after liver transplantation. CT body composition analysis of recipients and uniformly accepted cut-off points are crucial to producing reliable data in the future.

Radiological assessment of skeletal muscle index and myosteatosis and their impact postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation

Radiology and Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Background
Liver transplantation offers curative treatment to patients with acute and chronic end-stage liver disease. The impact of nutritional status on postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation remains poorly understood. The present study investigated the predictive value of radiologically assessed skeletal muscle index (SMI) and myosteatosis (MI) on postoperative outcomes.

Patients and methods
Data of 138 adult patients who underwent their first orthotopic liver transplantation were retrospectively analysed. SMI and MI in computer tomography (CT) scan at the third lumbar vertebra level were calculated. Results were analyzed for the length of hospitalisation and postoperative outcomes.

Results
In 63% of male and 28.9% of female recipients, low SMI was found. High MI was found in 45(32.6%) patients. Male patients with high SMI had longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay (P  0.05; female, P = 0.843), postoperative complication rates (males, P = 0.883; females, P = 0.113), infection rate (males, P = 0.293, females, P = 0.285) and graft rejection (males, P = 0.875; females, P = 0.135). The presence of MI did not influence ICU stay (P = 0.161), hospitalization (P = 0.771), postoperative complication rates (P = 0.467), infection rate (P = 0.173) or graft rejection rate (P = 0.173).

Conclusions
In our study, changes in body composition of liver transplant recipients observed with SMI and MI had no impact on postoperative course after liver transplantation. CT body composition analysis of recipients and uniformly accepted cut-off points are crucial to producing reliable data in the future.

Background
Liver transplantation offers curative treatment to patients with acute and chronic end-stage liver disease. The impact of nutritional status on...

Radiological assessment of skeletal muscle index and myosteatosis and their impact postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jun 21, 2023

Page range: 168 - 177

Received: Mar 12, 2023

Accepted: May 16, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2023-0025

Keywords
muscle mass, liver transplantation, myosteatosis, skeletal muscle index, GLIM score

© 2023 Miha Petric et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Radiological assessment of skeletal muscle index and myosteatosis and their impact postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jun 21, 2023

Page range: 168 - 177

Received: Mar 12, 2023

Accepted: May 16, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2023-0025

Keywordsmuscle mass, liver transplantation, myosteatosis, skeletal muscle index, GLIM score

© 2023 Miha Petric et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
muscle mass, liver transplantation, myosteatosis, skeletal muscle index, GLIM score