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Updated: Aug 29, 2025

Computer-assisted Large-scale Visualization and Quantification of Pancreatic Islet Mass, Size Distribution and Architecture
Published on: March 4, 2011
Visual assessment of pancreatic fat deposition: useful grading system and the relation to BMI and diabetes
Ryusuke Ookura1, Noriaki Usuki2
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Osaka Hospital, 4-2-78, Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka, 553-0003, Japan. ryusuke@rose.plala.or.jp.
Purpose:
To establish a simple and clinically useful method for the visual assessment of pancreatic fat deposition using computed tomography (CT) images, and to evaluate the relationship of the pancreatic fat deposition with body mass index (BMI) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).
Materials And Methods:
We used a four-scale grading system as the visual assessment criteria for pancreatic fat deposition using CT images. Pancreatic fat deposition was assessed for 200 patients and the results were compared with the CT attenuation-based assessment. In addition, the relationships of pancreatic fat deposition with BMI and type 2 DM were investigated.
Results:
The visual and CT attenuation-based assessments were considered consistent. The results of the visual assessment suggested that mild and moderate pancreatic fat deposition correlated with BMI and presence of type 2 DM while severe fat deposition did not correlate with them. No correlation between pancreatic fat deposition and HbA1c level was found.
Conclusion:
The visual assessment criteria we used were consistent with CT attenuation-based assessment and may be useful for clinical application of pancreatic fat deposition. According to the visually assessment, mild or moderate pancreatic fat deposition correlated with BMI and the presence of type 2 DM, but severe fat deposition did not correlate with them.
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