Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Normal organ volume assessment from abdominal CT

  • Original article
  • Published:
Abdominal Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We determined the normal distribution of abdominal organ volumes measured from abdominal computed tomographic (CT) images. A total of 149 adult abdominal CT studies were selected, and 711 organs (388 from males, 323 from females) were outlined by hand on each CT image by using a computer. More than 18,000 organ outlines were traced. The organs studied included left and right kidneys, left and right adrenals, spleen, pancreas, and liver, and the first lumbar vertebrae was also evaluated. Using the known pixel size and section thickness, organ volumes were computed. Organ volumes were corrected for height and weight for each sex. The normal and cumulative normal distributions for each organ studied were computed, demonstrating the range of organ volumes for each sex that exist in the normal adult population. Organ volumes ranged from a mean of 4.4 mL (female left adrenal) to 1710 mL (male liver). Mean organ volumes were 64.4, 156.5, 179.8, and 1411 mL for the female pancreas, kidneys, spleen, and liver, respectively. Corresponding male volumes were 87.4, 193.1, 238.4, and 1710 mL, respectively. Tabular data are provided that indicate the relative size for each organ volume in terms of the cumulative probability distribution. Normative data are provided to allow physicians to estimate where in the normal range a particular organ volume lays. Organ volumes may be useful as quantitative indices of pathologic conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. XZ Lin YN Sun YH Liu et al. (1998) ArticleTitleLiver volume in patients with or without chronic liver diseases. Hepatogastroenterology 45 1069–1074 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1cvislCguw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9756008

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. P Prassopoulos M Daskalogiannaki M Raissaki et al. (1997) ArticleTitleDetermination of normal splenic volume on computed tomography in relation to age, gender and body habitus. Eur Radiol 7 246–248 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003300050145 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByiC1M%2FjslQ%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. K Urata S Kawasaki H Matsunami et al. (1995) ArticleTitleCalculation of child and adult standard liver volume for liver transplantation. Hepatology 21 1317–1321 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0270-9139(95)90053-5 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByqB2MrotVU%3D Occurrence Handle7737637

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. TD Schiano C Bodian ME Schwartz et al. (2000) ArticleTitleAccuracy and significance of computed tomographic scan assessment of hepatic volume in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Transplantation 69 545–550 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00007890-200002270-00014 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3c7ntVersA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10708109

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. L Cools M Osteaux L Divano L Jeanmart (1983) ArticleTitlePrediction of splenic volume by a simple CT measurement: a statistical study. J Comput Assist Tomogr 7 426–430 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BiyC1cnpsFQ%3D Occurrence Handle6841704

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. RS Breiman JW Beck M Korobkin et al. (1982) ArticleTitleVolume determinations using computed tomography. AJR 138 329–333 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:Bi2C3M%2FmsFI%3D Occurrence Handle6976739

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. AA Moss MA Friedman AC Brito (1981) ArticleTitleDetermination of liver, kidney, and spleen volumes by computed tomography: an experimental study in dogs. J Comput Assist Tomogr 5 12–14 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:Bi6B3Mnht1w%3D Occurrence Handle7240486

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. JC Hoefs FW Wang DL Lilien et al. (1999) ArticleTitleA novel, simple method of functional spleen volume calculation by liver–spleen scan. J Nucl Med 40 1745–1755 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1MvkvFShug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10520718

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. A Heuck PA Maubach M Reiser et al. (1987) ArticleTitleAge-related morphology of the normal pancreas on computed tomography. Gastrointest Radiol 12 18–22 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BiiD1c7isFQ%3D Occurrence Handle3792751

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. N Gourtsoyiannis P Prassopoulos D Cavouras N Pantelidis (1990) ArticleTitleThe thickness of the renal parenchyma decreases with age: a CT study of 360 patients. AJR 155 541–544 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:By%2BA2M%2FmtF0%3D Occurrence Handle2117353

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. EM Geraghty JM Boone (2003) ArticleTitleDetermination of height, weight, body mass index and body surface area from a single abdominal CT image. Radiology 228 857–863 Occurrence Handle12881576

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. WH Press BP Flannery SA Teukolsky WT Vetterling (1988) Numerical recipes in C: the art of scientific computing. Cambridge University Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  13. REM Task Group IC2. Draft ICRP report: basic anatomical and physiological data for use in radiological protection: reference values. Stockholm: International Commission on Radiological Protection, 1 January 2002

  14. Y Matsuki K Nakamura H Watanabe et al. (2002) ArticleTitleUsefulness of an artificial neural network for differentiating benign from malignant pulmonary nodules on high-resolution CT: evaluation with receiver operating characteristic analysis. AJR 178 657–663 Occurrence Handle11856693

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. K Garg (2002) ArticleTitleCT of pulmonary thromboembolic disease. Radiol Clin North Am 40 111–122 Occurrence Handle11813814

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Q Li S Katsuragawa K Doi (2001) ArticleTitleComputer-aided diagnostic scheme for lung nodule detection in digital chest radiographs by use of a multiple-template matching technique. Med Phys 28 2070–2076 Occurrence Handle10.1118/1.1406517 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3Mnkt12rsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11695768

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. L Li RA Clark JA Thomas (2002) ArticleTitleComputer-aided diagnosis of masses with full-field digital mammography. Acad Radiol 9 4–12 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1076-6332(03)80290-8 Occurrence Handle11918357

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. S Paquerault N Petrick HP Chan et al. (2002) ArticleTitleImprovement of computerized mass detection on mammograms: fusion of two-view information. Med Phys 29 238–247 Occurrence Handle10.1118/1.1446098 Occurrence Handle11865995

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Y Jiang RM Nishikawa RA Schmidt et al. (2001) ArticleTitlePotential of computer-aided diagnosis to reduce variability in radiologists’ interpretations of mammograms depicting microcalcifications. Radiology 220 787–794 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MvosFemug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11526283

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. PM Lamb A Lund RR Kanagasabay et al. (2002) ArticleTitleSpleen size: how well do linear ultrasound measurements correlate with three-dimensional CT volume assessments? Br J Radiol 75 573–577 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD38zpsFymtw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle12145129

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. JM Henderson SB Heymsfield J Horowitz MH Kutner (1981) ArticleTitleMeasurement of liver and spleen volume by computed tomography. Assessment of reproducibility and changes found following a selective distal splenorenal shunt. Radiology 141 525–527 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:Bi2D3sflvFA%3D Occurrence Handle6974875

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. T Hirose T Inomoto M Awane et al. (1998) ArticleTitleDirect measurement of graft and recipient liver fossa size by computed tomography for avoiding problems due (correction of clue) to large graft size in living-related liver transplantation. Clin Transplant 12 49–55 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1c3gtVCqtA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9541423

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. J Kaneko Y Sugawara Y Matsui et al. (2002) ArticleTitleNormal splenic volume in adults by computed tomography. Hepatogastroenterology 49 1726–1727 Occurrence Handle12397778

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. HG Schulz A Christou S Gursky P Rother (1986) ArticleTitle[Computerized tomography studies of normal morphology and volumetry of parenchymatous epigastric organs in humans]. Anat Anz 162 1–12 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BimA387gvVA%3D Occurrence Handle3752529

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. R Brunader DK Shelton (2002) ArticleTitleRadiologic bone assessment in the evaluation of osteoporosis. Am Fam Phys 65 1357–1364

    Google Scholar 

  26. MJ Henry JA Pasco E Seeman et al. (2001) ArticleTitleAssessment of fracture risk: value of random population-based samples—the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. J Clin Densitom 4 283–289 Occurrence Handle10.1385/JCD:4:4:283 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MjgtVSntA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11748333

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the generous support of a research fellowship from the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. Much of the research performed in this project was relevant to other CT-related topics, and we acknowledge partial support for this work from the National Cancer Institute (CA 89260) and the California Breast Cancer Research Program (7EB-0075).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, Medical Center, Research Imaging Center, 4701 X Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA

    E. M. Geraghty, J. M. Boone, J. P. McGahan & K. Jain

Authors
  1. E. M. Geraghty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. M. Boone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. P. McGahan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. Jain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Geraghty, E., Boone, J., McGahan, J. et al. Normal organ volume assessment from abdominal CT . Abdom Imaging 29, 482–490 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-003-0139-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-003-0139-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation