Abstract
BACKGROUND: Limited data exist on the prevalence of myosteatosis (i.e., excess accumulation of fat in skeletal muscles) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and no systematic review or meta-analysis has been conducted in this context. METHODS: We searched for articles published from inception until November 2023 to assess the prevalence of myosteatosis in patients with HCC. RESULTS: Ten studies with 3316 patients focusing on myosteatosis and HCC were included. The overall prevalence of myosteatosis in HCC patients was 50% [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 35-65%]. Using the body mass index-based criteria (two studies), the prevalence was 34%, while gender-based criteria (eight studies) yielded 54% (p = 0.31). In Asian studies (n = 8), the prevalence was 45%, compared to 69% in non-Asian countries (two studies) (p = 0.02). For viral-associated HCC (eight studies), the prevalence was 49%, rising to 65% in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated cases (three studies) and 86% in alcoholic liver disease-associated cases (three studies) (p < 0.01). The prevalence of myosteatosis was higher in Child-Pugh class C (3 studies, 91%) than in A (7 studies, 73%) or B (6 studies, 50%) (p = 0.02), but with no difference between Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A (3 studies, 66%), B (4 studies, 44%) and C (3 studies, 62%) (p = 0.80). Patients with myosteatosis had a significantly higher mortality (six studies) (Relative Risk: 1.35 (95%CI: 1.13-1.62, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of myosteatosis is high in HCC patients and is associated with more severe liver disease and higher mortality rates.