Assessment of pancreatic echogenicity and its relation to age, BMI, and sex, at oke-odo, Lagos

Background Transabdominal ultrasound is the first-line imaging modality that demonstrates parenchymal changes in the pancreas. It is non-invasive, widely available, and inexpensive compared to other imaging modalities. This research aims to assess pancreatic echogenicity and determine its relationship with age, body mass index (BMI), and sex among apparently healthy adults in OkeOdo LCDA, Lagos State. Methods A descriptive, cross‐sectional study was conducted from January 2026 to May 2026. SPSS version 27 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentages) were used for data presentation. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to assess the relation between age, BMI, and sex and pancreatic echogenicity. Statistical significance was assessed using Student’s t-test, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.4. Results Out of 175 participants, 72 (41.1%) had normal pancreatic echogenicity, 42 (24.0%) had mildly increased pancreatic echogenicity, 31 (17.7%) had moderately increased pancreatic echogenicity, whereas 30 (17.1%) had severely increased pancreatic echogenicity. Using a student’s t-test, age was found to have the strongest positive linear relationship with pancreatic echogenicity (p < 0.01) and Spearman’s rank correlation (ρ = 0.71). BMI also showed a positive linear correlation with pancreatic echogenicity (p < 0.01) and a Spearman’s correlation (ρ = 0.34). Using the chi-square test, sex was found to have no association with pancreatic echogenicity (p = 0.49). Conclusion The findings showed an increase in age and BMI associated with an increase in pancreatic echogenicity independent of sex. Therefore, the echogenic pancreas is not always pathologic; age and BMI should be put into consideration while making a diagnosis regarding an echogenic pancreas. Keywords: Echogenicity, BMI, Pancreas, Hyperechoic, Isoechoic