Introduction Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is now recognized as a multisystem metabolic disorder affecting not only the liver but also cardiovascular, renal, and endocrine systems. Parallel to this, Fatty pancreas disease—defined by intrapancreatic fat deposition—is emerging as another manifestation of ectopic fat accumulation.
Introduction
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is now recognized as a multisystem metabolic disorder affecting not only the liver but also cardiovascular, renal, and endocrine systems. Parallel to this, Fatty pancreas disease—defined by intrapancreatic fat deposition—is emerging as another manifestation of ectopic fat accumulation. Despite increasing recognition, the coexistence of FPD in MASLD and its clinical implications remain poorly defined, even though both conditions share common metabolic pathways such as obesity, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation.
Problem Statement
The prevalence and clinical significance of fatty pancreas disease in MASLD patients are unclear, limiting its integration into routine metabolic risk assessment and management.
Summary
This systematic review and meta-analysis including over 21,000 patients demonstrates that fatty pancreas disease is highly prevalent in MASLD, affecting approximately 54% of patients. Interestingly, there is marked geographic variation, with lower prevalence in Asian populations compared to non-Asian cohorts.
Clinically, MASLD patients with concomitant FPD exhibit a distinctly worse metabolic phenotype. They tend to be older, have higher BMI, and show significantly higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. This reinforces the concept that ectopic fat deposition is not organ-specific but represents a systemic metabolic burden.
The study highlights an important shift in understanding—moving from a liver-centric view of MASLD to a “multi-organ fat disease” model involving liver, pancreas, and beyond. Although the prognostic implications are not fully established, the presence of FPD may identify a higher-risk metabolic subgroup.
For clinicians, this suggests that pancreatic fat should not be ignored when incidentally detected on imaging. Future research is needed to determine whether FPD contributes to pancreatic dysfunction, pancreatitis, or cancer risk, and whether it should influence therapeutic strategies in MASLD.
Introduction: Advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) carries a poor prognosis, with limited improvements in survival despite the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors to standard gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy. This phase II trial evaluated ivonescimab, a novel PD-1/VEGF...
Introduction: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have become a cornerstone in the management of type 2 diabetes because of their excellent glycemic, cardiovascular, and weight-loss benefits. However, concerns remain regarding their potential association with...
Introduction: Patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for non invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) require long-term surveillance because of the risk of disease recurrence in the pancreatic remnant. New pancreatic duct (PD) dilatation is commonly detected during...
• This study evaluated 1,063 patients undergoing pancreatic surgery; 11% developed conventionally defined chyle leak. • Most clinically relevant cases were grade B, while no grade C leaks were reported. • A minimally invasive surgical...
Introduction: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage has become the preferred minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic necrotizing pancreatitis. However, the optimal timing of direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN) following drainage remains uncertain. While the conventional step-up approach reserves...
Introduction: Fatty pancreas disease (FPD), also known as intrapancreatic fat deposition, has emerged as an important metabolic condition closely linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although ectopic fat accumulation in...
We are pioneers in clinical intelligence, dedicated to helping gastroenterologists harness the power of artificial intelligence to drive precision, efficiency, and patient growth.