Published online Aug 16, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i23.6624
Peer-review started: March 11, 2021
First decision: May 12, 2021
Revised: May 20, 2021
Accepted: June 1, 2021
Article in press: June 1, 2021
Published online: August 16, 2021
Processing time: 147 Days and 12.5 Hours
Nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) is an emerging disease that has gained an increasing amount of attention in recent years. It describes fat accumulation in the pancreas with insignificant alcohol consumption, but the pathogenesis is largely unknown. A wide range of terms have been used to describe the phenomenon of pancreatic fat accumulation, but NAFPD remains an under-recognized and non-independent disorder. Obesity, age, sex, race, and unhealthy lifestyle are established independent risk factors for NAFPD, which is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, pancreatitis, pancreatic fistula, pancreatic cancer, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. At present, imaging techniques are common diagnostic aids, but uniform criteria and consensus are lacking. Therapeutically, healthy diet, weight loss, and exercise are the mainstays to reduce pancreatic fat accumulation. It can be seen that there is a limited understanding of NAFPD at this stage and further exploration is needed. Previous studies have revealed that NAFPD may directly affect diagnosis and clinical decision-making. Therefore, exploring the pathophysiological mechanism and clinical associations of NAFPD is a major challenge for researchers and clinicians.
Core Tip: Just as obesity is a global problem, nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) has attracted an increasing amount of attention from researchers and clinicians. In this review, we have summarized the recent progress of NAFPD, including risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and clinical consequences. The value of NAFPD as early indication of diagnosis and intervention in patients with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and pancreatitis is important. In the future, it is reasonably expected that large cohort and multi-center basic and clinical research can deepen our knowledge of NAFPD, so that the early diagnosis and treatment of NAFPD and clinical associations can be made possible.