Clinical guidance for polycystic liver disease 

Abstract

Polycystic liver disease is characterized by fluid-filled cysts in the liver. Pressure from these cysts on surrounding structures causes symptoms. The severity of this disease can be determined using the total liver volume or by recording the symptom burden. This thesis demonstrates the speed and precision of various (semi-)automatic methods to calculate total liver volume. It also improves the clinical application of a polycystic liver disease specific symptom questionnaire (the PLD-Q) and demonstrates the prognostic value of total liver volume. Finally, this thesis provides clinical guidelines regarding abdominal wall hernias, diagnosis and treatment of cystic liver diseases, and future therapeutic targets for polycystic liver disease.