International Multidisciplinary Consensus Report on Definitions, Diagnostic Criteria, and Management of Fatty Pancreas: A Joint Statement Endorsed by EPC, APA, EASD, EASL, ESGAR, ESGE, ESP, ESPCG, ESPEN, ESPGHAN, IAP, JPS, KPBA, LAPSG, and UEG.
This international, multidisciplinary consensus report represents the first effort to systematically define and characterize fatty pancreas. A key outcome of this endeavor was the recommendation to adopt "fatty pancreas" as the standardized and inclusive term to describe all forms of fat accumulation in the pancreas. This terminological consensus provides a critical foundation for unified reporting and clinical communication. Another major contribution of the report is the consensus on diagnostic imaging findings, which was based on radiological and endoscopic modalities. The proposed criteria aim to enhance consistency in clinical assessment and support the development of standardized research protocols. In addition to establishing terminology and diagnostic frameworks, the report also synthesizes current knowledge across a wide range of relevant domains. These include the etiology and epidemiology of fatty pancreas, as well as its associations with alcohol consumption, smoking, acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and surgical outcomes. The potential links between fatty pancreas and neoplastic conditions such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and pancreatic cancer are also addressed, alongside the current understanding of its metabolic implications (beta-cell function and glucose homeostasis) and treatment strategies. Throughout the consensus process, a consistent theme emerged: the limited availability of high-quality, prospective clinical data. Therefore, many of the recommendations in this report are based on expert consensus rather than strong empirical evidence. As such, the statements require rigorous prospective validation before they can be adopted into routine clinical practice. This underscores a critical need for further research, particularly studies aimed at clarifying causal relationships, validating diagnostic tools, and determining the clinical relevance of fatty pancreas across diverse patient populations. This report serves as both a summary of our current understanding and a roadmap for future investigations, aiming to close existing knowledge gaps and guide evidence-based clinical practice in this emerging field.
Authors
- Min Je Sung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5395-8851)
- Nikola Panić (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5930-9884)
- Martin Heni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8462-3832)
- N. B. Gubergrits (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3655-9554)
- Muşturay Karçaaltıncaba (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3384-0909)
- M. Loveček
- Ivonne Regel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0206-4441)
- İlkay Sedakat İdilman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1913-2404)
- Etna Masip (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0707-7177)
- Lenka Nosáková
- Analía V. Pasqua (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3138-7335)
- Felicia Gerst
- Michael Wilschanski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6223-5185)
- Jérôme Cros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4935-3865)
- Güralp Onur Ceyhan
- Mariia Kiriukova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6946-3826)
- Anders Molven (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1847-3079)
- Mónika Lipp
- Minoti V. Apte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0194-8939)
- Verena Carola Obmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6572-9968)
- Marc E. Martignoni
- İhsan Ekin Demir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8241-1871)
- T. L. Mozhynа (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8239-6093)
- Enrique de-Madaria
- László Czakó
- Andrada Seicean
- E G Jonas
- M. Smits
- Douglas A. Drossman
- Heiko Witt
- Jong Jin Hyun
- Jens Brøndum Frøkjær
- Livia Archibugi
- Aslihan Yavas
- Albrecht Neesse
- Daniele Piovani
- Sven Francque
- Johann Ockenga
- Kasper Overbeek
- Ibrahim Halil Gürcinar
- Manil Dinesh Chouhan
- Sara Regnér
- Mihaela Udrescu
- Vinciane Rebours
- Robert Wagner
- Peter Hegyi
- Caroline S Verbeke
- Jonas Rosendahl
- Brigitta Teutsch
- Arantza Fariña Sarasqueta
- Sanjay Pandanaboyana
- Gabriele Capurso
- Asbjørn Mohr Drewes
- Masayuki Kitano
- Giulia A Zamboni
- Roy Taylor
- Stuart Robinson
- Pramod Garg
- J Enrique Dominguez-Muñoz
- Trond Engjom
- Aleksander Krag
- Julio Iglesias-Garcia
- Stefania Bunduc
- Daniel de la Iglesia
- Roberto Valente
- Johanna Laukkarinen
- Patrick Maisonneuve
- Antanas Gulbinas
- Mihailo Bezmarević
- Giovanni Marchegiani
- Georgios Papachristou
- Rickmer Braren
- Miroslav Vujasinovic
- Daniel Öhlund
- Vijay P. Singh
- Katarzyna M Pawlak
- Matteo Tacelli
- Isabelle Scheers
- J Matthias Löhr
- Anne Couvelard
- Mario Pelaez-Luna
Institutions
- Society of Interventional Radiology (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
- Published
- 2026-02-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.48620/94670
- Primary Topic
- Pancreatitis Pathology and Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00