Fatty Pancreas: Should We Be Concerned?

Shounak Majumder, Nissy A. Philip, Naoki Takahashi, Michael J. Levy, Vijay P. Singh, Suresh T. Chari

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

The metabolic consequences of visceral fat deposition are well known, and the presence of intrapancreatic fat (IPF) has been recognized for decades. However, our knowledge about the distribution of fat in the pancreas and its clinical implications is in a nascent stage. Various terms have been proposed to describe IPF; for the purpose of this narrative review, we chose the general term fatty pancreas. Herein, we describe the radiologic, endoscopic, and histopathologic aspects of diagnosing fatty pancreas and provide an overview of the diseases associated with this condition. Our purpose is to highlight diagnostic challenges and identify specific clinical questions that would benefit from further study. As evident in this review, IPF is associated with various metabolic diseases, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and precancer - yet establishing causality needs careful, further study.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1251-1258
Number of pages8
JournalPancreas
Volume46
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2017

Keywords

  • Diabetes mellitus
  • fatty pancreas
  • obesity
  • pancreatitis
  • steatosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Hepatology
  • Endocrinology

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