Computed tomography of hepatic morphologic changes in cirrhosis of the liver.

Computed tomography of 75 biopsy proven cirrhotic patients was analyzed volumetrically and compared with CT on 50 normal subjects in an attempt to quantitate hepatic morphologic changes specific for cirrhosis. Our data show that the mean percentage of the total liver volume occupied by the right hepatic lobe decreased by 15.2% (p less than 0.0001) and the mean percentage of the total liver volume occupied by the medial segment of the left lobe decreased in volume by 10.9% (p less than 0.09) when compared with normals. Concomitantly, the mean percentage of the total liver volume occupied by the caudate lobe increased by 192% (p less than 0.0001) and the mean percentage of the total liver volume occupied by the lateral segment of the left lobe increased by 55.6% (p less than 0.0001). This increase in the volume of the lateral segment of the left lobe and decrease in the volume of the medial segment of the left lobe have not been described previously. The cirrhotic patients were divided according to etiology of their disease: alcoholic or nonalcoholic. No statistically significant difference was found in the morphologic changes based on etiology when the data were examined using analysis of variants.