Charité Imaging Classification (ChIC) for Polycystic Liver Disease
Informational and educational; not a diagnostic device.
ChIC is a free, research-based tool that classifies polycystic liver disease (PLD) progression by age and height-adjusted total liver volume (htTLV) into five classes, A (mild) to E (severe), to help clinicians and researchers estimate the risk of future liver events in ADPKD and ADPLD.
How the classes work
htTLV = total liver volume (ml) ÷ height (m). Patients are placed in classes A–E by compound annual liver-growth-rate bands (<1%, 1–2%, 2–3%, 3–4%, ≥4% per year); higher classes carry a higher risk of liver events. ChIC builds on the two published PLD progression studies cited below, using multicentre imaging data.
Key terms
- PLD
- Polycystic liver disease — fluid-filled cysts replacing liver tissue.
- ADPLD
- Autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (isolated liver involvement).
- ADPKD
- Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, which often includes PLD.
- htTLV
- Height-adjusted total liver volume (ml/m).
- TLV
- Total liver volume (ml), measured from MRI or CT.
- Liver events
- Cyst complications, procedures, or medication for PLD (e.g. hemorrhage, infection, aspiration sclerotherapy, resection, transplantation).
- LGR
- Liver growth rate (percent per year).
Frequently asked questions
What is height-adjusted total liver volume (htTLV)?
htTLV is total liver volume (ml, from MRI or CT) divided by the patient's height in metres. ChIC uses htTLV with age to assign a progression class.
What do the ChIC classes A–E mean?
Five classes from A (mild) to E (severe), set by age and htTLV and mapping to annual liver-growth-rate bands of <1%, 1–2%, 2–3%, 3–4%, and ≥4%. Higher classes carry higher liver-event risk.
Is ChIC a diagnostic device?
No. ChIC is an informational and educational research tool for risk stratification, not a diagnostic device, and does not replace clinical judgement.
How does ChIC differ from the Mayo Imaging Classification?
The Mayo Imaging Classification stratifies kidney disease in ADPKD using height-adjusted total kidney volume. ChIC applies an analogous compound-exponential-growth model to the liver using htTLV.
Which genes cause polycystic liver disease?
PLD is most often associated with variants in PKD1, PKD2 and GANAB (ADPKD) and PRKCSH and SEC63 (ADPLD).
How to cite
Cite the originating, peer-reviewed studies: Sierks et al., JHEP Reports 2022 (PMID 36246085) and Schönauer et al., Gastroenterology 2024 (PMID 38101549). The primary ChIC manuscript is in preparation; citation details will be added once it is published.
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