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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Sanjay PandanaboyanaORCiD, Stuart Robinson, Emeritus Professor Roy TaylorORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2026 The Author(s). United European Gastroenterology Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of United European Gastroenterology. 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.
Author(s): Vujasinovic M, Demir IE, Marchegiani G, Hegyi P, Archibugi L, Valente R, Capurso G, Witt H, Bonovas S, Piovani D, Rosendahl J, Maisonneuve P, Verbeke CS, Karcaaltincaba M, Dominguez-Munoz JE, Scheers I, Czako L, Wagner R, Rebours V, Ohlund D, Idilman IS, Overbeek K, Gubergrits N, Engjom T, Neesse A, Apte M, Bezmarevic M, Braren R, Bunduc S, Ceyhan GO, Chouhan MD, Couvelard A, Cros J, Iglesia DDL, de-Madaria E, Drenth JPH, Drewes AM, Sarasqueta AF, Fracasso P, Francque S, Frokjaer JB, Iglesias-Garcia J, Garg P, Gerst F, Gulbinas A, Gurcinar IH, Heni M, Hyun JJ, Jonas E, Kiriukova M, Kitano M, Krag A, Laukkarinen J, Lipp M, Lovecek M, Martignoni M, Masip E, Matsumoto R, Molven A, Mozhyna T, Nosakova L, Obmann V, Ockenga J, Pandanaboyana S, Panic N, Papachristou G, Pasqua AV, Pawlak KM, Pelaez-Luna M, Regel I, Regner S, Robinson S, Seicean A, Singh V, Smits MM, Sung MJ, Tacelli M, Taylor R, Teutsch B, Udrescu M, Wilschanski M, Yavas A, Zamboni GA, Lohr JM
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: United European Gastroenterology Journal
Year: 2026
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Online publication date: 14/02/2026
Acceptance date: 20/01/2026
Date deposited: 03/03/2026
ISSN (print): 2050-6406
ISSN (electronic): 2050-6414
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.70185
DOI: 10.1002/ueg2.70185
Data Access Statement: Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.
PubMed id: 41689768
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