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Unintentional weight loss: what radiologists need to know and what clinicians want to know

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Abstract

Unintentional weight loss (UWL) is a common presenting symptom with a wide differential diagnosis. Causes may be organic (e.g., malignancy or gastrointestinal disease) or inorganic (e.g., psychosocial). The purpose of this review is to provide a guide for radiologists and other clinicians to understand the imaging modalities and laboratory studies involved in the diagnosis and treatment of UWL and the evidence supporting their routine use. Cases illustrating both common and uncommon causes of UWL are presented to emphasize both the breadth of pathology that may cause UWL as well as the importance of a multi-modality diagnostic approach. Imaging studies are crucial in the diagnosis of unintentional weight loss, particularly with regard to evaluating for the presence of malignancy. It is important for both the radiologist and other clinicians to understand the relative prevalence of the various causes of UWL and the utility of different imaging modalities in diagnosis and management.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

CBC:

Complete blood count

CT:

Computed tomography

DEXA:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PET/CT:

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography

TNF-a:

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha

UWL:

Unintentional weight loss

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA

    Sanjay Rao, Elias George Kikano, Daniel Arnold Smith, Ezgi Guler, Sree Harsha Tirumani & Nikhil H. Ramaiya

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  1. Sanjay Rao
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  2. Elias George Kikano
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Contributions

NR and ST conceptualized the work. SR and EK acquired the background information and completed the initial draft. SR, EK, DS, and EG assisted with revisions. All authors approved of the final version.

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Correspondence to Elias George Kikano.

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Rao, S., Kikano, E.G., Smith, D.A. et al. Unintentional weight loss: what radiologists need to know and what clinicians want to know. Abdom Radiol 46, 2236–2250 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-020-02908-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-020-02908-6

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