Cross-sectional imaging of the pancreas in diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus presents a global health challenge characterized by dysregulated glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Pancreas dysfunction contributes to the development and progression of diabetes. Cross-sectional imaging modalities have provided new insight into the structural and functional alterations of the pancreas in individuals with diabetes. This review summarizes MRI and CT studies that characterize pancreas alterations in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and discusses future applications of these techniques. Key points: Cross-sectional imaging can detect alterations to the pancreas accompanying, and possibly presaging, the development of both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The smaller pancreas found in individuals with diabetes implicates exocrine involvement in the disease, as it exceeds the 1–2% of the pancreas composed of hormone-producing endocrine tissue. Pancreas fat content is associated with insulin resistance and is higher in individuals with T2D. Quantitative MRI can detect changes in pancreas composition and microstructure in individuals with diabetes that display spatial heterogeneity throughout the gland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]