Group 1.
14 of 20 patients with pancreatic cancer were found sarcopenic (70% of group 1 patients,
8/9 men and 6/11 women).
Mean value of lumbar skeletal muscle index in this group was 44,7±5,9 cm2/m2 for men and 35,7±3,8 cm2/m2 for women.
Mean value of BMI was 25,4±2,5 kg/m².
CT images of two patients with pancreatic cancer and different BMI values are shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.
First patient (1A-B) had normal BMI and L3 SMI values.
In second patient BMI was increased but nevertheless this patient had sarcopenia (L3 SMI was decreased),
BMI values were within normal range because of larger adipose tissue area.
Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 1/1 patient with decreased BMI (18,2 kg/m²),
in 7/10 patient with normal BMI (18,5-24,99 kg/m²) and in 6/7 patients with increased BMI (25-29,99 kg/m²).
Two obese patients (BMI>30 kg/m²) didn’t have sarcopenia (Fig. 5).
There was no significant difference in the rate of complications: 11/20 patients had complications in postoperative period (55%),
among them 8 patients had sarcopenia (57%).
Mortal cases (3 cases) were present only in the group of sarcopenic patients.
Group 2.
There were 18 sarcopenic of 29 patients with chronic pancreatitis (62%).
Mean values of L3 SMI for men and for women were 47,0±6,6 cm2/m2 and 39,0±5,4 cm2/m2,
respectively.
Mean value of BMI in patients of group 2 was 22,16±2,3 kg/m².
Different values of L3 SMI in two patients with same value of BMI are shown in Fig. 6.
It illustrates that the presence of sarcopenia didn’t correlate with BMI values.
Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 3/3 patient with decreased BMI (BMI<18,49 kg/m²),
in 13/18 patient with normal BMI (18,5-24,99 kg/m²) and in 2/8 patients with increased BMI (25-29,99 kg/m²) (Fig. 7).
There were no perioperative complications and mortality in this group of patients.
There was no statistically significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 (p>0,05) (Fig. 8).
CT was also found as useful tool to evaluate the changes in body composition during the course of the disease.
Fig. 9 shows skeletal muscle loss and changes in body composition in male patient with chronic pancreatitis in 434 days period.