Correlation between sectional area of the spleen by ultrasonic tomography and actual volume of the removed spleen

Abstract

The sectional area of the splenotomogram scanned parallel to the ribs provides useful information for differential diagnosis and determination of prognosis in liver diseases. To establish a relationship between sectional area and actual spleen volume, 10 spleens obtained at splenectomy or autopsy were studied. A good linear correlation (r = 0.956) was present between the sectional area (S) and the actual spleen volume (V). The spleen volume could be calculated as V = 7.5S – 77.5. Therefore the value of the sectional area obtained from one ultrasonic splenotomogram has practical application as a parameter reflecting the spleen volume in vivo.