Massa adiposa ligamenti falciformis or anterior abdominal fat pad - Its dimension and relation to body weight.

The anterior abdominal fat pad is associated with the falciform ligament in the upper middle/right abdomen and is frequently seen there in diagnostic imaging. It varies greatly in size and has often been described as an incidental finding in adults and has hitherto rarely been regarded as being illness-relevant. The aim of this study has been to assess whether the dimension of the corpus adiposum may be associated with body mass index. Ultrasound findings of 26 patients from birth until adolescence were analyzed for this purpose. In addition, an example from a recent dissection course has been included. The structure is constantly found with its smallest dimension in newborns, with a slight increase in infancy. The average dimensions were 7.6 by 3.5 by 0.7cm. The cubic volume correlated with age, weight and body mass index, whereas the latter association was strongest. Our data suggest that routinely determined dimension of falciform fat may be a surrogate parameter of relative body weight in childhood.