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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2025; 31(43): 112076
Published online Nov 21, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i43.112076
Published online Nov 21, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i43.112076
Imaging-based assessment of sarcopenia in liver transplant candidates: A systematic review
Thaynara Flosi Silva, Thais Mellato Loschi, Amanda P C S Boteon, Yuri L Boteon, Transplant Centre, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo 05652-900, Brazil
Thaynara Flosi Silva, Yuri L Boteon, Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo 05652-900, Brazil
Author contributions: Boteon YL, Boteon APCS, and Silva TF conceived the idea and designed the study; Silva TF and Loschi TM performed the literature search and analyzed the data; Silva TF and Boteon YL drafted the manuscript; Boteon APCS and Boteon YL performed the critical revision of the manuscript for intellectual content, and supervision of the study process. All authors reviewed the draft, contributed to editing and approved the final manuscript version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yuri L Boteon, MD, PhD, FACS, Professor, Transplant Centre, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, 627/701 Albert Einstein Avenue, Sao Paulo 05652-900, Brazil.
Received: July 17, 2025
Revised: September 23, 2025
Accepted: October 23, 2025
Published online: November 21, 2025
Processing time: 126 Days and 20.6 Hours
Revised: September 23, 2025
Accepted: October 23, 2025
Published online: November 21, 2025
Processing time: 126 Days and 20.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Sarcopenia is a major prognostic factor in patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation. This systematic review highlights computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging as the most accurate modalities for assessing skeletal muscle mass, especially at the third lumbar vertebra level. Despite this predictive value, the lack of standardized diagnostic criteria and cutoff values limits clinical application. This study emphasizes the emerging role of muscle quality indicators and calls for international consensus to improve risk stratification, guide clinical decision making, and enhance transplant outcomes.