Value of sarcopenia assessed by computed tomography for the prediction of postoperative morbidity following oncological colorectal resection: A comparison with the malnutrition screening tool.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) can be used for accurate estimation of whole-body muscle mass and muscle density and for detection of sarcopenia. The goal of this study was to evaluate the additional value of CT measured sarcopenia and muscle attenuation alongside the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) for the prediction of post-operative morbidity after oncological colorectal resection, whilst correcting for known risk factors.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 80 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery in the Netherlands.