Fatty pancreas: Current insights and future perspectives

Abstract

With the global increase in obesity rates, a newly emerging disease, non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease (NAFPD), has garnered increasing attention. The most important characteristic of NAFPD is fat accumulation in the pancreas in individuals with minimal alcohol consumption. However, the underlying pathogenesis remains poorly understood. This condition has been described using terms, such as fatty infiltration, fatty pancreas, or pancreatic steatosis. Similar to fat accumulation in the liver, known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), fat can accumulate in other organs, including the pancreas. Therefore, MASLD and NAFPD have increasingly captured the attention of researchers and clinicians. However, precise quantification of pancreatic fat poses a significant challenge. Given the numerous challenges in diagnosing NAFPD and identifying its risk factors, pathogenesis, and clinical implications, extensive efforts have been made to understand its nature. This review highlights the recent advancements in NAFPD. Large-scale cohort studies and multicenter research efforts are anticipated to enhance our understanding of NAFPD, paving the way for improved early diagnosis, treatment, and exploration of its clinical associations.

Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease; Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; Obesity; Metabolic syndrome; Early diagnosis

Core Tip: With the global increase in obesity cases, non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease (NAFPD), characterized by fat accumulation in the pancreas with minimal alcohol consumption, has emerged as a condition of growing interest. Despite its parallels with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and clinical implications of NAFPD remain poorly understood; therefore, further research is necessary to advance early detection and treatment.