Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon technique

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a condition affecting over 366 million individuals by 2030, is intimately associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and the accumulation of ectopic fat, particularly in the liver and pancreas. MRI Dixon, a superior imaging technique, offers enh...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rouan Ahmed Elsayed, Pasant M. Abo-Elhoda, Nouran Mohamed Said, Aliaa Sayed Sheha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-07-01
Series:The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s43055-025-01500-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849766361936429056
author Rouan Ahmed Elsayed
Pasant M. Abo-Elhoda
Nouran Mohamed Said
Aliaa Sayed Sheha
author_facet Rouan Ahmed Elsayed
Pasant M. Abo-Elhoda
Nouran Mohamed Said
Aliaa Sayed Sheha
author_sort Rouan Ahmed Elsayed
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a condition affecting over 366 million individuals by 2030, is intimately associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and the accumulation of ectopic fat, particularly in the liver and pancreas. MRI Dixon, a superior imaging technique, offers enhanced assessment of pancreatic fat compared to traditional ultrasound methods. This study aimed to evaluate ectopic fat accumulation in the pancreas, liver, and paraspinal skeletal muscles in T2DM patients compared to healthy controls using MRI Dixon technique. Methods Using a 3T MRI with the m-Dixon sequence, the liver and pancreas of 15 T2DM patients and 15 healthy volunteers. We measured pancreatic fat fraction (PFF), hepatic fat fraction, body mass index, and fat fractions in visceral adipose tissue, and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). We compared these parameters between the experimental and control groups and analyzed correlations between PFF and other indicators. Results Diabetic participants exhibited a significantly higher PFF (11.74 ± 3.46) compared to controls (3.61 ± 2.60; p = 0.000). Other fat measurements, including SAT, visceral fat index, psoas muscle fat fraction (PS FF), and bone marrow fat fraction (BM FF), were also elevated in diabetics (p < 0.05). Conclusion Pancreatic fat is a crucial indicator of T2DM, showing superior predictive performance relative to other fat measures. Higher levels of liver and visceral fat correlate with poor glycemic control, underscoring the importance of managing blood glucose levels.
format Article
id doaj-art-e6ed11260d6d44a4b8d0f5d95ced2761
institution DOAJ
issn 2090-4762
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher SpringerOpen
record_format Article
series The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
spelling doaj-art-e6ed11260d6d44a4b8d0f5d95ced27612025-08-20T03:04:36ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine2090-47622025-07-0156111410.1186/s43055-025-01500-6Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon techniqueRouan Ahmed Elsayed0Pasant M. Abo-Elhoda1Nouran Mohamed Said2Aliaa Sayed Sheha3Ain Shams UniversityAin Shams UniversityAin Shams UniversityAin Shams UniversityAbstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a condition affecting over 366 million individuals by 2030, is intimately associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and the accumulation of ectopic fat, particularly in the liver and pancreas. MRI Dixon, a superior imaging technique, offers enhanced assessment of pancreatic fat compared to traditional ultrasound methods. This study aimed to evaluate ectopic fat accumulation in the pancreas, liver, and paraspinal skeletal muscles in T2DM patients compared to healthy controls using MRI Dixon technique. Methods Using a 3T MRI with the m-Dixon sequence, the liver and pancreas of 15 T2DM patients and 15 healthy volunteers. We measured pancreatic fat fraction (PFF), hepatic fat fraction, body mass index, and fat fractions in visceral adipose tissue, and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). We compared these parameters between the experimental and control groups and analyzed correlations between PFF and other indicators. Results Diabetic participants exhibited a significantly higher PFF (11.74 ± 3.46) compared to controls (3.61 ± 2.60; p = 0.000). Other fat measurements, including SAT, visceral fat index, psoas muscle fat fraction (PS FF), and bone marrow fat fraction (BM FF), were also elevated in diabetics (p < 0.05). Conclusion Pancreatic fat is a crucial indicator of T2DM, showing superior predictive performance relative to other fat measures. Higher levels of liver and visceral fat correlate with poor glycemic control, underscoring the importance of managing blood glucose levels.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43055-025-01500-6Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)Ectopic fatMRI dixonGlycemic control
spellingShingle Rouan Ahmed Elsayed
Pasant M. Abo-Elhoda
Nouran Mohamed Said
Aliaa Sayed Sheha
Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon technique
The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
Ectopic fat
MRI dixon
Glycemic control
title Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon technique
title_full Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon technique
title_fullStr Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon technique
title_full_unstemmed Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon technique
title_short Quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using MR-dixon technique
title_sort quantification of ectopic fat fractions in type 2 diabetes mellitus using mr dixon technique
topic Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
Ectopic fat
MRI dixon
Glycemic control
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s43055-025-01500-6
work_keys_str_mv AT rouanahmedelsayed quantificationofectopicfatfractionsintype2diabetesmellitususingmrdixontechnique
AT pasantmaboelhoda quantificationofectopicfatfractionsintype2diabetesmellitususingmrdixontechnique
AT nouranmohamedsaid quantificationofectopicfatfractionsintype2diabetesmellitususingmrdixontechnique
AT aliaasayedsheha quantificationofectopicfatfractionsintype2diabetesmellitususingmrdixontechnique