Relationship between hepatic and pancreatic steatosis and the COVID-19 pneumonia total severity score and prognosis with an emphasis on prognostic strength.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between hepatic steatosis (HS), pancreatic steatosis (PS), and coexisting HS and PS and the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia total severity score (TSS) and prognosis, assessed through computed tomography (CT), and to evaluate the degree of effectiveness of the three steatosis conditions on TSS and prognosis.

METHODS: This retrospective study involved 461 patients (255 male and 206 female, median age of 53 years) with COVID-19 who underwent unenhanced chest CT. HS, PS, and coexisting HS and PS, assessed through CT, were compared with patient demographics, comorbidities, TSS, hospitalization and intubation requirements, and mortality rates. The parameters were compared using Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests. The parameters of three groups of patients with only HS, only PS, and both HS and PS were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTS: Results revealed that TSS ( P < 0.001 for all) and hospitalization rates ( P < 0.001 for all except for HS [ P = 0.004]) were higher in patients with HS, PS, and both than in those without. Intubation ( P = 0.003) and mortality rates ( P = 0.018) were significant solely in patients with PS. However, TSS, hospitalization, and diabetes mellitus were significant in age-standardized analyses for PS. In a comparison between only HS, only PS, and coexisting HS and PS in 210 patients, the highest TSS was in the coexistence group ( P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The TSS and hospitalization rates correlate with HS, PS, and coexisting HS and PS, whereas intubation and mortality rates only correlate with PS. However, TSS correlates with coexisting HS and PS at the highest rate.