Evaluation of pancreatic steatosis prevalence and anthropometric measurements using non-contrast computed tomography

Abstract

Background/Aims: Pancreatic steatosis (PS) is a subject of current interest, and its prevalence has been reported to range from 16.1% to 30.7% using various radiological methods. This study aimed to evaluate PS prevalence using non-contrast computed tomography (CT). Materials and Methods: The non-contrast CT scans taken in 2016 and 2017 in our hospital were retrospectively screened. A total of 637 patients (320 men and 317 women) were included in the study. The number measurements on the CT were performed from 3 anatomic regions of the pancreas using regions of interest (ROI) of approximately 1 cm2. The cases with a <0.7 ratio of the pancreatic over splenic CT number were accepted as quantitatively steatosis positive. Anthropometric evaluations were undertaken by determining various parameters defined on CT. Results: PS was determined visually in 30.6% of the men and 29% of the women and quantitatively in 32.8% and 30.6%, respectively. A positive agreement was determined between the quantitative and visual evaluations of steatosis (Cohen’s kappa coefficient=0.587, p<0.001). Although PS was seen to be mostly diffuse, the tail region of the pancreas was determined to be the area with the most steatosis. Conclusion: PS is usually overlooked in radiology practice, but it has a clinical presentation with an insignificant prevalence. Current radiological methods are adequate in the evaluation of PS. Determination of the cutoff values for various criteria on non-contrast CT can provide more objective evaluations.