Nomogram based on liver stiffness and spleen area with ultrasound for posthepatectomy liver failure: A multicenter study

Liver stiffness (LS) measurement with two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) correlates with the degree of liver fibrosis and thus indirectly reflects liver function reserve. The size of the spleen increases due to tissue proliferation, fibrosis, and portal vein congestion, which can indirectly reflect the situation of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. It was reported that the size of the spleen was related to posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). So far, there has been no study combining 2D-SWE measurements of LS with spleen size to predict PHLF. This prospective study aimed to investigate the utility of 2D-SWE assessing LS and spleen area (SPA) for the prediction of PHLF in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and to develop a risk prediction model.