Table 2.

Main tools for the assessment of body composition.

Body Mass Component	Tool	Parameter Evaluated	Clinical Relevance
Lean mass	Handgrip strength (kg): mean value of three consecutive measurements of the dominant arm gripping a dynamometer	Muscle function	Predictive of mortality in the LT waiting list [33,34] Decrease of the HGS value with the severity of cirrhosis [34]
	Skeletal muscle index on CT scan (cm2/m2): semi-automatic measure of skeletal muscles at L3 using HU thresholds of −29 to +150 normalized to the square of height	Muscle quantity	Predictive of mortality in the LT waiting list, especially in men [6,8] and in patients with HCC [45] Predictive of post-LT complications: longer ICU stay, longer hospital stay, higher days of intubation, increased risk of infections [19,44]
	Myosteatosis on CT scan (HU): attenuation of skeletal muscle radiation at L3	Muscle quality	Significant association with skeletal muscle depletion [51] Predictive of mortality in the LT waiting list [52]
Fat mass	Visceral adipose tissue on CT scan (cm2): semi-automatic measure at L3 using HU thresholds of −150 to −50	Visceral fat	Association with mortality in patients with HCC [45]
	Subcutaneous adipose tissue on CT scan (cm2): semi-automatic measure at L3 using HU thresholds of −190 to −30	Subcutaneous fat	Predictive of mortality in women waiting for LT [46]

LT: liver transplantation, HGS: handgrip strength, CT: computed tomography; ICU: intensive care unit, HU: Hounsfield unit, HCC: hepatocarcinoma.