Non-Alcoholic Fatty Pancreatic Disease: A Review of Literature

Abstract

There is an epidemic of obesity worldwide. The prevalence of obesity has doubled over the last three decades. Obesity, especially abdominal obesity is associated with insulin resistance that can lead to pancreatic steatosis and non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease (NAFPD). NAFPD describes a phenotype entity ranging from deposition of fat in the pancreas to pancreatic inflammation, and resultant fibrosis, which is similar to that of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFPD may represent a meaningful manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Pancreatic steatosis can be diagnosed on ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition to a correlation between pancreatic steatosis and metabolic syndrome, pancreatic steatosis may lead to a worse outcome in pancreatitis and may be an etiological factor in pancreatic cancer, but we need further research to examine the associations, pathophysiology, and the impact of pancreatic steatosis and NAFPD on the human health.