Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Based Assessment of Pancreatic Fat Strongly Correlates With Histology-Based Assessment of Pancreas Composition

Ashley L. Kiemen, Mohamad Dbouk, Elizabeth Abou Diwan, André Forjaz, Lucie Dequiedt, Azarakhsh Baghdadi, Seyedeh Panid Madani, Mia P. Grahn, Craig Jones, Swaroop Vedula, Pei Hsun Wu, Denis Wirtz, Scott Kern, Michael Goggins, Ralph H. Hruban, Ihab R. Kamel, Marcia Irene Canto

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based estimation of pancreatic fat and histology-based measurement of pancreatic composition. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, MRI was used to noninvasively estimate pancreatic fat content in preoperative images from high-risk individuals and disease controls having normal pancreata. A deep learning algorithm was used to label 11 tissue components at micron resolution in subsequent pancreatectomy histology. A linear model was used to determine correlation between histologic tissue composition and MRI fat estimation. Results: Twenty-seven patients (mean age 64.0 ± 12.0 years [standard deviation], 15 women) were evaluated. The fat content measured by MRI ranged from 0% to 36.9%. Intrapancreatic histologic tissue fat content ranged from 0.8% to 38.3%. MRI pancreatic fat estimation positively correlated with microanatomical composition of fat (r = 0.90, 0.83 to 0.95], P < 0.001); as well as with pancreatic cancer precursor (r = 0.65, P < 0.001); and collagen (r = 0.46, P < 0.001) content, and negatively correlated with pancreatic acinar (r = −0.85, P < 0.001) content. Conclusions: Pancreatic fat content, measurable by MRI, correlates to acinar content, stromal content (fibrosis), and presence of neoplastic precursors of cancer.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)E180-E186
JournalPancreas
Volume53
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2024

Keywords

  • MRI
  • deep learning
  • fat
  • pancreatic cancer

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology
  • Internal Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Hepatology

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