Predicting Post-hepatectomy Liver Failure Preoperatively for Child-Pugh A5 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients by Liver Stiffness

Background Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) represents the major source of mortality after liver resection (LR) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Child-Pugh (CP) score 5 is always considered to indicate a normal liver function but represents a heterogeneous population with a considerable number suffering from PHLF. The present study aimed to access the ability of liver stiffness (LS) measured by two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) to predict PHLF in HCC patients with a CP score of 5. Methods From August 2018 to May 2021, 146 HCC patients with a CP score of 5 who underwent LR were reviewed. The patients were randomly divided into training ( n = 97) and validation ( n = 49) groups. Logistic analyses were conducted for the risk factors and a linear model was built to predict the development of PHLF. The discrimination and calibration were assessed in the training and validation cohorts by the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results Analyses revealed that the minimum of LS (Emin) higher than 8.05 ( p = 0.006, OR = 4.59) and future liver remnant / estimated total liver volume (FLR/eTLV) ( p < 0.001, OR < 0.01) were independent predictors of PHLF in HCC patients with CP score 5, and the AUC calculated by the model based on them for differentiation of PHLF in the training and validation group was 0.78 and 0.76, respectively. Conclusion LS was associated with the development of PHLF. A model combining Emin and FLR/eTLV showed proper ability in predicting PHLF in HCC patients with a CP score of 5.