Abstract

This study investigated the correlations between biochemical parameters, hepatic steatosis grade, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) thickness in seborrheic dermatitis (SD) patients without cardiovascular disease, aiming to enhance understanding of SD's systemic metabolic implications.Fifty-four SD patients and 54 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this retrospective study (January 2019 - February 2024). Exclusion criteria involved known cardiovascular, metabolic, or chronic inflammatory conditions. Demographic and laboratory data (AST, ALT, GGT, ESR, CRP, complete blood count) were recorded. Ultrasonography assessed hepatic steatosis grade, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and subcutaneous, preperitoneal, and VAT thicknesses. SD patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of hepatic steatosis (p = 0.028), with Grade 2-3 steatosis in 18.5% of SD patients versus 3.7% of controls. Aorta-VAT thickness (37.61 ± 17.46 mm vs. 26.63 ± 9.56 mm, p < 0.001) and ALT levels (17.15 ± 8.86 U/L vs. 13.30 ± 3.55 U/L, p = 0.036) were significantly elevated in the SD group. IMT, ESR, and CRP values did not differ significantly. Multiple linear regression identified SD presence, male sex, and increasing age as robust independent predictors for increased Aorta-VAT thickness. This research demonstrates that SD patients, even without cardiovascular comorbidities, exhibit increased hepatic steatosis and visceral adiposity. These findings support SD's strong association with systemic metabolic dysregulation and emphasize the critical need for thorough metabolic risk factor assessment in this patient population.

Key words: Seborrheic dermatitis, visceral fat, ultrasonography, hepatic steatosis, biochemical markers