Two-dimensional ultrasound: can it replace computed tomography in liver volume assessment?

Background: Liver volume estimation is considered as an integral part in preoperative evaluation in patients undergoing liver transplantation; computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are considered the gold standard methods for liver volume estimation, and both are reliable and valid in determination of liver volume via manual and semi-automated methods. Reliable and accurate set of three simple measurement planes using two-dimensional ultrasound for volumetric assessment of liver was determined, and predictive equation using these three simple measurements was performed, which is simple to perform and easy to calculate, in order to evaluate liver volume and validate these measurements against CT images. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the efficacy and validity of two-dimensional ultrasound in liver volume estimation compared to CT volumetry as a gold standard. Results: A strong linear positive correlation with no statistical significant difference was found between 2D US and semi-automated CT volumetric, and result was r = 0.7402 and p > 0.05, with an average liver volume of 1572.10 (+/- 326.43) cm(3) and 1559.30 (+/- 381.02) cm(3) respectively. No statistically significant difference was found also between the two modalities in different age groups and different sexes. Conclusion: Simple linear two-dimensional ultrasound could be considered an efficient, accurate, and trustable tool for liver volume measurement in clinical practice.