If the image at L3 is cut off:

 

•Check first to see if there are any other series from the same date that might not be cutoff

 

•If the following muscles are cut off, the scan cannot be used:

oboth sides of the obliques/transversus abdominus

oerector spinae

orectus abdominus

 

•If muscle is cut off on one side of the obliques/transversus abominus (which is the most common), you can analyze the side that is not cut off with a different TAG (i.e., not TAG 1 (Red)) and multiply it by 2.  (This makes the assumption that the muscle is symmetrical.)

 

oAnalyze the muscles that are not cut off with TAG 1 (RED)

oAnalyze the side that you want to multiply by 2 in another color such as TAG 3 (BLUE) (remember to set thresholds for the new TAG in the region growing mode interface). 

 

 

 

 

oTotal skeletal muscle surface area (cm2) = 81.15 cm2 (RED) + (2 X 21.92 cm2) (BLUE) = 124.99 cm2

 

 

What about the adipose tissue on CT scans with muscle that is cut off?

 

•All adipose tissue analysis on these scans needs to be determined on a case by case basis

oVAT will likely be usable

oSAT will likely not be usable

oIMAT may or may not be usable depending on the scan

 

•If there is a large amount of IMAT on the side that is not cut off, then it is likely not usable

 

•If there is a smaller amount of IMAT on the side that is not cut off, then it is likely usable

oTotal adipose tissue likely cannot be determined

 

Note: The tissues that were cut off must be documented during data collection for the image.