Abstract
Purpose : We evaluated nutritional status following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in terms of fatty liver development and primary disease recurrence.
Methods : Following PD, 34 patients were divided into a fatty liver group (FLg) and a non-fatty liver group (NFLg). We assessed albumin and total protein levels as well as the psoas muscle area via computed tomography.
Results : Over a median observation period of 12 months, 8 cases (23.5%) developed a fatty liver. The rate of primary disease recurrence was the same in the FLg and NFLg, and there was no difference in preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative factors between the two groups. In the NFLg, albumin and total protein levels after PD were not different from their preoperative values, while significant decreases were observed in the FLg. After PD, the psoas muscle area decreased in both groups, with a greater reduction in the FLg than in the NFLg. Regarding primary disease recurrence, the post-PD psoas muscle area reduced significantly in patients with recurrence but not in those without recurrence.
Conclusion : Loss of muscle and nutritional deterioration was observed in patients with a fatty liver or primary disease recurrence after PD, and nutritional support was considered important for improving prognosis and quality of life.
