Benha University Participates in Global Study Published in Nature Reviews Establishing the First International Framework for Fatty Pancreas Disorder

In a new international scientific achievement, Benha University has joined a global research consortium of 25 experts from six continents to prepare the first international consensus document establishing a conceptual and diagnostic framework for intrapancreatic fat deposition. The study was published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, one of the world's leading specialized scientific journals.
The study, in which Dr. Reda El‑Badawy, Professor of Hepatology and Gastroenterology at the Faculty of Medicine, participated, responds to the growing global interest in intrapancreatic fat deposition (IPFD), amid rising rates of pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Researchers noted the absence of a unified scientific framework, which necessitated international collaboration to define clear standards for diagnosis, classification, and research.
Through a series of systematic reviews and the repeated, anonymous Delphi methodology to achieve consensus, the “Melbourne Consensus” was adopted in Melbourne, Australia. The final document included 58 scientific recommendations, of which 30 received full consensus and 28 achieved agreement levels between 90–99%.
Key outcomes of the study include the formal recognition of Fatty Pancreas Disorder (FPD) as an independent medical condition, characterized by excessive fat deposition within the pancreas at levels posing health risks. The document also recommended magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the most accurate method for assessing pancreatic fat and diagnosing the disorder.
Experts further established new diagnostic and classification criteria, distinguishing between Type I FPD in individuals without excess body fat and Type II FPD in those with increased body fat mass. This distinction opens new avenues for understanding the disease and developing more precise preventive and therapeutic strategies tailored to individual patients.
Benha University's participation in this prestigious international research effort reflects the growing presence of Egyptian scholars in global scientific projects and supports ongoing efforts to advance medical knowledge on pancreatic diseases and reduce their global health burden. The “Melbourne Consensus” is expected to serve as a launchpad for future research aimed at improving early diagnosis and prevention of conditions associated with intrapancreatic fat deposition.
Source: Conceptual Framework and Expert Guidance on Intrapancreatic Fat Deposition: The Melbourne Consensus, published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, July 2026. Nature | PubMed