Comparison of nuclear imaging techniques and volumetric imaging for the prediction of postoperative mortality and liver failure in patients undergoing localized liver-directed treatments: a systematic review

Background/aims Although volumetric imaging by computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard for preoperative assessment of the future liver remnant, nuclear imaging studies have shown promising data. This systematic review summarized the results from trials investigating volumetric and nuclear medicine imaging for the prediction of postoperative mortality and liver failure (LF). Methods MEDLINE and Web of Science were searched for papers investigating nuclear imaging methods for the prediction of postoperative clinical outcomes in patients undergoing local, liver-directed treatments. Only papers investigating both preoperative nuclear imaging and CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MR) for the prediction of postoperative mortality and/or LF were included. Results Twenty-five trials were qualified for this review. All trials but two used technetium-based tracers for the nuclear imaging examination. Four papers used MR imaging and the remaining used CT for the volumetric evaluation. Overall, the studies were heterogeneous both in terms of methodology and imaging technique. Of the thirteen studies reporting on postoperative mortality, most were descriptive without detailed diagnostic data. A few with detailed data found that nuclear imaging had better predictive value than volumetric imaging. Nineteen studies investigated the prediction of postoperative LF of which seven papers investigated the predictive value of both modalities in multivariable regression analysis. Two papers found that only nuclear imaging parameters were predictive of LF, one paper found that the CT parameter was predictive, and four papers found that combined nuclear and CT/MR imaging parameters were predictive of LF. Conclusion Both methodologies were useful in the preoperative assessment of patients scheduled for liver interventions, especially in combination, but nuclear imaging demonstrated better predictive value for postoperative mortality and LF in a few trials. The overall technical and methodological heterogeneity of the included studies complicates the ability to directly compare the clinical utility of the two imaging techniques.