SynthesisLiver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver2026
Ultrasound-Based Skeletal Muscle Assessment for Prognostication in Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Ultrasound-Based Skeletal Muscle Assessment for Prognostication in Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsSarcopenia is a major determinant of adverse outcomes in cirrhosis, yet CT- and MRI-based assessments are difficult to implement in routine and longitudinal practice. Ultrasound is a feasible bedside alternative, but its prognostic role remains unclear. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the association between ultrasound-derived skeletal muscle measures and mortality in adults with cirrhosis.
methodsThis review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251056162). MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library were searched to October 2025. Prospective studies assessing ultrasound-based muscle parameters and mortality in cirrhosis were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using QUIPS.
resultsSix prospective studies (n = 731) were included. Heterogeneity in muscle sites, ultrasound protocols, indexation methods, sarcopenia definitions and outcomes precluded meta-analysis. Lower ultrasound-derived muscle measures were consistently associated with higher mortality. In acute decompensation, reduced rectus femoris area predicted 90-day mortality (sHR 0.57; 95% CI 0.38-0.85). Rectus abdominis thickness and psoas indices were also associated with mortality. In hospitalized decompensated cirrhosis, ultrasound-defined sarcopenia was strongly associated with 6-month mortality (HR 6.37; 95% CI 3.15-12.87). In critically ill liver transplant candidates, higher serial rectus femoris muscle area measurements were associated with better survival. In advanced chronic liver disease, sarcopenia was linked to increased 1-year mortality.
conclusionsIn our systematic review, ultrasound-based muscle measures demonstrated a broadly consistent association with mortality; although not yet fully validated, they represent a promising bedside prognostic tool. Standardization is needed before clinical implementation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.