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La mesenteritis esclerosante es una enfermedad no neoplásica poco común que afecta el mesenterio del intestino delgado con inflamación fibrosante crónica, hay pocos datos sobre la historia natural y las opciones terapéuticas para esta afección La mesenteritis esclerosante forma parte de un espectro de condiciones idiopáticas, de rara presentación, caracterizada por inflamación crónica del mesenterio y fibrosis, y fue descrita por primera vez en 1924. El método empleado para desarrollar el estudio, es la presentación de un caso clínico. El objetivo propuesto de este escrito, es conocer las diferentes formas de presentación de un cuadro clínico de mesenteritis. Entre los resultados importantes encontrados se describen los siguientes: La localización más frecuente es el mesenterio del intestino delgado, pero en algunos casos puede afectar al mesocolon (sigmoides). La evolución histológica progresa en 3 estadios. El primero es la lipodistrofia mesentérica en la que los macrófagos invaden el tejido mesentérico. En este estadio el cuadro es oligosintomático y de progreso benigno. El segundo es la PM en la que se observa la presencia de infiltrado de células inflamatorias plasmáticas y algunos polimorfonucleares, células gigantes de cuerpo extraño y macrófagos. Las principales conclusiones sobre el estudio, la SM es un trastorno idiopático poco común que afecta el mesenterio del intestino delgado con diversos grados de fibrosis, inflamación y necrosis grasa. Su presentación clínica es bastante variable y varía de asintomática a enfermedad debilitante. Aproximadamente el 50% de los pacientes podría no necesitar ningún tratamiento.

Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) is an idiopathic disorder affecting mesentery, characterized by fat necrosis, chronic inflammation and fibrosis. The clinical presentation varies from asymptomatic cases to acute abdomen. The diagnosis is suggested by imaging but can be definitely established only by biopsies. In this paper, we discuss ultrasonography-based management of SM.

Patient: Female, 83-year-old Final Diagnosis: Sclerosing mesenteritis Symptoms: Abdominal pain • intestinal obstruction • vomiting Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare disease Background: The term “sclerosing mesenteritis” includes a spectrum of rare idiopathic diseases involving the small and/or large bowel. It appears as a diffuse, localized, or multinodular thickening of the mesentery, with a variable degree of chronic non-specific inflammation, fat necrosis, and fibrosis. Case Report: Here, we report a case of 83-year-old woman with symptoms of intestinal occlusion, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Radiographic examinations showed air fluid levels in right and left quadrants and in the mesogastric site, while computed tomography (CT) documented a strangulated inguinal hernia with ileal obstruction. Based on clinical examination and radiologic findings, the patient underwent surgery for inguinal hernia reduction. The examination of viscera revealed 2 tracts of ileum with ischemic signs and covered by fibrin; thus, the 2 intestinal loops were resected. Histological examination revealed chronic non-specific inflammation of the whole intestinal wall, including the subserosa in the resected tract of proximal ileum, while the distal ileal loop (not herniated tract) showed a subserosal fibrous nodule of 2 cm in greatest diameter, composed of a proliferation of spindle cells haphazardly arranged in a collagenized stroma. The diagnosis of sclerosing mesenteritis was rendered. Conclusions: The present case shows the possibility of an incidental diagnosis during another intervention such as hernia surgery. Pathologists should be aware of this disease to avoid confusion with aggressive tumors such as intra-abdominal desmoid-type fibromatosis and gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Mesenteric diseases are broadly separated into 2 groups: non-neoplastic and neoplastic. Common non-neoplastic mesenteric diseases include those involving the mesenteric vasculature and those of inflammatory processes. Mesenteric inflammatory processes can mimic a neoplastic process. Neoplastic diseases of the mesentery are rare. Generally, the morphology, behavior and diagnostic criteria for mesenteric tumors are similar to their soft tissue or organ-specific counterparts. Their recognition can be challenging because they sometimes are overlooked in differential diagnoses.

Highlights • Mesenteric lipodystrophy is a rare fibroinflammatory disease of unknown origin. • The detection of mesenteric lipodystrophy is challenging and requires early clinical suspicion. • Clinical and imaging findings can mimick other pathological conditions affecting the mesenteric fat tissue. • Contrast enhanced CT is the most accurate imaging technique for diagnosing mesenteric lipodystrophy., Introduction Mesenteric lipodystrophy is a rare fibroinflammatory disease of unknown origin with clinical and radiological non specific findings. Presentation of the case The case of a 42-years-old man affected by a pedunculated mesenteric lipodystrophy mimicking Meckel’s diverticulum is reported. Clinical, imaging and histological findings are discussed. Discussion Mesenteric lipodystrophy affects the mesenteric fat of the abdomen with a typical diffuse thickening of the mesentery, nodular thickening of the mesenteric root and presence of mass-like lesions. Ultrasound (US) and Multiphasic Computed Tomography (CT) represent the main imaging tools used for diagnosis. Clinical and imaging findings can mimick other pathological conditions affecting the mesenteric fat tissue. Contrast enhanced CT is the most accurate imaging technique for diagnosing mesenteric lipodystrophy due to the high panoramicity and accuracy with multiplanar imaging. Multiphasic technique helps to characterize the lesion and to recognize vascular anatomy. Oral administration of iodinated contrast medium may help to assess the relationship with bowel loops. All these diagnostic elements are crucial for the surgical timing and approach. Conclusions Due to the heterogeneous mesenteric involvement, the nonspecific CT findings and the high number of diseases for differential diagnosis, the detection of mesenteric lipodystrophy is challenging and requires early clinical suspicion. An histological examination is always necessary.

A 72-year-old man was followed as an outpatient at our hospital for 6 years after surgery for small cell carcinoma of left adrenal gland origin. Follow-up abdominal computed tomography showed a 6-cm mass in the left lower mesentery. The patient underwent open laparotomy. The histological diagnosis was sclerosing mesenteritis. The previous specimens of the left adrenal mass were then re-examined with a microscope, and panniculitis was found around the small cell carcinoma. Both lesions were histologically similar to IgG4-related disease (RD), but they did not completely meet the diagnostic criteria of IgG4-RD clinically or histologically.

Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) is a rare fibroinflammatory disorder that involves mesenteric adipose tissue, more frequently localized in the small intestine, with an insidious clinical presentation having symptoms related to mass effect, usually resulting in bowel obstruction, mesenteric ischemia, as well as rapid weight loss. We report a case of a 23-year-old male presenting with palpable abdominal mass, mesogastric pain, and a history of rapid weight loss, who underwent exploratory laparoscopy. A hemorrhagic and gelatinous nodular tumor mass of the mesentery was identified and the surgical procedure was converted to a laparotomic approach. Histologically, the mass was composed of a proliferation of bland-looking spindle cells with slightly eosinophilic cytoplasm and elongated normochromatic nuclei with mild nuclear atypia, haphazardly set in a collagenized stroma; fat necrosis and inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, plasma-cells, and histiocytes) were also evident. The diagnosis of sclerosing mesenteritis was made. Our case emphasizes that histology remains pre-eminent for a correct diagnosis of SM, as pre-operative radiological-based diagnosis is non-specific.

Patient: Male, 42-year-old Final Diagnosis: Neuroendocrine tumor Symptoms: Abdominal pain Medication:— Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Surgery Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Jejunoileal neuroendocrine tumors (JI-NETs) are rare tumors that can be associated with mesenteric fibrosis. This case report is of an incidental finding of a JI-NET in a patient who was previously misdiagnosed with sclerosing mesenteritis. Case Report: A 42-year-old man was admitted to our institution with diffuse abdominal pain and clinical and radiographic signs of bowel obstruction. He had a previous diagnosis of sclerosing mesenteritis, which had been histologically diagnosed after an exploratory laparoscopy performed in 2009 for recurrent acute abdominal pain. He was also annually monitored through computed tomography scans for an incidentally discovered, gradually enlarging mesenteric mass for which a “wait and watch” management approach was adopted. After a period of fasting and observation, the patient underwent an urgent exploratory laparotomy because of his worsening condition. Intraoperatively, an ileocecal resection was performed, along with excision of the known mesenteric mass. The pathology report revealed an ileal NET with nodal metastases within the mesentery and mesenteric tumor deposits (pT3N1). Conclusions: JI-NETs are rare entities, which are usually encountered as incidental findings or in patients with unspecific abdominal pain. Our case represents a probable delayed diagnosis of JI-NET in the context of sclerosing mesenteritis; therefore, a possible association between these 2 conditions should be investigated.

ObjectivePeritoneal or mesenteric tumours may correspond to several tumour types or tumour-like conditions, some of them being represented by histiocytosis. This rare condition often poses diagnostic difficulties that can lead to important time delay in targeted therapies. Our aim was to describe main features of histiocytoses with mesenteric localisation that can improve the diagnostic process.DesignWe performed a retrospective study on 22 patients, whose peritoneal/mesenteric biopsies were infiltrated by histiocytes.ResultsAbdominal pain was the revealing symptom in 10 cases, and 19 patients underwent surgical biopsies. The diagnosis of histiocytosis was proposed by initial pathologists in 41% of patients. The other initial diagnoses were inflammation (n=7), sclerosing mesenteritis (n=4) and liposarcoma (n=1). The CD163/CD68+CD1a- histiocytes infiltrated subserosa and/or deeper adipose tissues in 16 and 14 cases, respectively. A BRAFV600E mutation was detected within the biopsies in 11 cases, and two others were MAP2K1 mutated. The final diagnosis was histiocytosis in 18 patients, 15 of whom had Erdheim-Chester disease. The median diagnostic delay of histiocytosis was 9 months. Patients treated with BRAF or MEK inhibitors showed a partial response or a stable disease. One patient died soon after surgery, and five died by the progression of the disease.ConclusionDiagnosis of masses arising in the mesentery should be carefully explored as one of the possibilities in histiocytosis. This diagnosis is frequently missed on mesenteric biopsies. Molecular biology for detecting the mutations in BRAF or in genes of the MAP kinase pathway is a critical diagnostic tool.

Patient: Male, 57-year-old Final Diagnosis: Sclerosing mesenteritis Symptoms: Abdominal pain Medication: Prednisone Clinical Procedure: CT scan • MRI Specialty: Endocrinology and Metabolic Objective: Rare disease Background: Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare disease characterized by chronic inflammation of mesenteric adipose tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first case report that presents the effects of glucocorticoid therapy on metabolic control in diabetes mellitus, aggravated by sclerosing mesenteritis. We want to show the significance of this rare disease, which could be underestimated as a cause of decompensation of diabetes mellitus. Case Report: A 57-year-old man with diabetes type 2 was admitted to the hospital to obtain better metabolic control of this disease. In addition, he reported persistent pain in the left side of his abdomen. Sclerosing mesenteritis was diagnosed based on the CT and MRI images. Prednisone was administered. The treatment resulted in better glycemic control and abdominal pain reduction. On follow-up after 1 year, the patient reported a decrease in the abdominal pain and an MRI showed a significant reduction of abnormalities in the mesentery. Conclusions: It is known that glucocorticoids exacerbate hyperglycemia, particularly in patients with diabetes mellitus. However, we noticed contrary effects in the case of our patient. We suggest that the inflammatory process occurring in sclerosing mesenteritis was one of the main causes of metabolic decompensation in our patient. The effect of reduction of inflammation with glucocorticoids was stronger than the hyperglycemic effect of this treatment. That is why, in the presence of this autoimmune disease, the use of glucocorticoids can paradoxically lead to better glycemic control.

Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare condition characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrotic changes of the mesentery. To determine the long-term management and outcomes of patients with sclerosing mesenteritis. Patients with biopsy-proven sclerosing mesenteritis at the Mayo Clinic between January 2006 and December 2016 were identified. Clinical data were collected retrospectively. One hundred and three patients were identified, median age 68.0 years (range 35.0–85.3). Most patients were symptomatic (87.4%) at presentation. Patients received no treatment (52.4%), medical therapy (42.7%) or surgery (4.9%) on initial diagnosis. The most common initial regimens were prednisone plus tamoxifen (41.9%), prednisone alone (23.3%), and prednisone plus colchicine (11.6%) with 55.6%, 57.2%, and 60% of patients improving, respectively, p = 0.85 for a difference in response rates. At least half of the patients responded to prednisone plus tamoxifen, prednisone plus colchicine, or prednisone alone at 6.0, 7.2, and 8.4 months, respectively. At a median follow-up of 45.6 months (95% CI 24.1–69.7), 65.4% of patients were receiving medical therapy. Of those receiving tamoxifen-based, steroid-based, or steroid-sparing regimens, 100%, 87.5%, and 77.8% had improved by their last follow-up appointment respectively, p = 0.15. Prednisone plus colchicine has a similar efficacy to prednisone plus tamoxifen for the initial and long-term treatment of sclerosing mesenteritis. The majority of patients were initiated on medical therapy over the long term with most reporting symptomatic improvement within a year. Death from SM was rare.

A 64-year-old man presented to our hospital with abdominal pain and 4–5 episodes of watery diarrhea per day for 2 months. Abdominal ultrasound examination revealed a mass in the peritoneal cavity, and computed tomography showed a 13.4 cm mass in the mesentery and a 3 cm mass in the mesocolon. The patient underwent laparoscopic partial resection for diagnosis. Microscopically, abundant fibrosis and numerous immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-positive plasma cells were observed. The serum level of IgG4 was 665 mg/dl postoperatively. These findings suggested that the lesion was consistent with IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis. Oral steroids resulted in rapid disappearance of symptoms and a decrease in masses. Recently, sclerosing mesenteritis are reported as IgG4-related disease or mimicking IgG4-related disease but multiple lesions rarely occur in the same organ. We report a case of IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis with multiple lesions without involvement of other organs, such as the pancreas and salivary glands.

Patient: Male, 33-year-old Final Diagnosis: Sclerosing mesenteritis Symptoms: Abdominal pain • diaphoresis • nausea • tachycardia Medication:— Clinical Procedure: Exploratory laparotomy Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Sclerosing mesenteritis is an inflammatory and fibrotic disease that affects the mesentery of the small intestine. This condition is non-neoplastic, although it is frequently associated with underlying malignancies. The overall etiology is unclear because of the limited number of cases available for review, yet a number of possible mechanisms have been described, including ischemia. Factor V (FV) Leiden is a hereditary condition causing hyper-coagulability, thrombosis, and ischemia. Because ischemia is one of the proposed mechanisms for the fibrosis and sclerotic findings of sclerosing mesenteritis, this case explores a possible association between FV Leiden and sclerosing mesenteritis. Case Report: Herein, we describe a case of sclerosing mesenteritis in a patient heterozygous for FV Leiden, with a strong personal and family history of venous thromboembolism. This patient presented with acute worsening of chronic abdominal pain and was found to have a small bowel obstruction requiring acute surgical intervention. Imaging findings and pathologic examination of the ileum and mesentery conclusively diagnosed sclerosing mesenteritis. Conclusions: This case serves to highlight a possible association between mesenteric ischemia secondary to chronic thrombotic activity and sclerosing mesenteritis. This patient’s virgin abdomen and lack of additional risk factors for sclerosing mesenteritis make this case a unique presentation of the disorder. This case serves to update the literature at large, as only one prior case in a FV Leiden patient has been described, in which the patient had the additional risk factor of previous abdominal surgery.

Introduction: Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a rare autoimmune disorder involving 1 or multiple organs, most commonly the pancreas, lacrimal glands, and salivary glands. However, IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) involving the small-bowel mesentery is rare. Given that IgG4-related SM usually mimics the imaging characteristics of mesenteric malignancies, its preoperative diagnosis remains challenging. In addition, no specific consensus has been reached regarding the treatment of IgG4-related SM. Therefore, a better understanding of the characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of IgG-related SM is urgently needed. Herein, we report a rare case of IgG-related SM. Patient concerns: A 67-year-old man was admitted to our hospital after incidental detection of an abdominal mass on ultrasound imaging, although he reported being generally well. The findings on triple-phase abdominal computed tomography were highly consistent with a malignant mesenteric tumor. Diagnoses: The hallmark histopathological features along with elevated levels of IgG4 (145 mg/dL) and imaging findings were indicative of IgG-related SM. Interventions: The patient was treated surgically. Postoperative histopathological examinations exhibited tissue infiltration with lymphocytes and IgG4-positive plasma cells, as well as fibrosis. Outcomes: Ten days after surgery, the patient was discharged from the hospital, and did not show any clinical sign of IgG-related SM within 1-year follow-up. Conclusion: This case highlights the mesentery as an uncommon site of involvement as well as how early IgG-related SM can be completely asymptomatic. Thus, this study has advanced our knowledge of IgG-related SM and may improve treatments for similar conditions.

Mesenteric tumour deposits frequently occur in small-intestine neuroendocrine tumours. In many instances, these mesenteric tumour deposits are surrounded by a dense fibrotic stroma and have associated lymphoplasmacytic inflammation. The aim of this study was to examine whether mesenteric tumour deposits in patients with small-intestine NETs neuroendocrine tumours show histological and immunophenotypic overlap with IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis.Sixty-six mesenteric tumour deposits from 66 patients with small-intestine neuroendocrine tumours with blocks available for further studies were identified from our archives. Cases were assessed for clinicopathological features and the presence of IgG4-positive and IgG-positive plasma cells by immunohistochemistry. Ratios of IgG4-positive to IgG-positive plasma cells were calculated. Seventeen mesenteric tumour deposits (26%) showed40 IgG4-positive plasma cells per high-power field, and the majority of cases (68%) showed at least some staining of IgG4-positive plasma cells. Mesenteric tumour deposits with20 IgG4-positive plasma cells per high-power field tended to be larger (25.9 ± 13.0 mm versus 18.6 ± 15.8 mm; P = 0.07), and had more IgG-positive plasma cells (88 ± 24 versus 36 ± 37; P 0.01) and a higher IgG4-positive/IgG-positive plasma cell ratio (0.66 ± 0.18 versus 0.17 ± 0.25; P 0.01). All but one mesenteric tumour deposit with20 IgG4-positve plasma cells had a ratio of40%.IgG4 expression is frequent in mesenteric tumour deposits from small-intestine neuroendocrine tumours. Undersampling of tumour on biopsies of mesenteric tumour deposits could potentially cause diagnostic confusion with IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis.

Intra-abdominal panniculitis is a rare condition characterized by intraperitoneal lipodystrophy that may manifest as a necrotic adipose lump causing symptoms due to inflammation or mass effect. Although this condition tends to primarily affect the root of the mesentery, it may affect any part of the peritoneum, including the omentum. However, isolated omental panniculitis, in which no other site is affected, is a very rare form of intra-abdominal panniculitis and only eight cases have been reported in the literature so far. Mesenteric panniculitis, especially in the late fibrous stage of retractile mesenteritis, is known to occasionally cause intestinal obstruction by virtue of its relation to the bowel. However, omental panniculitis has only been reported to cause nonspecific inflammatory symptoms. We present a case of isolated omental panniculitis of indeterminate etiology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such case reported to present with intestinal obstruction.

Background Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) and mesenteric panniculitis are rare processes of the mesentery which pose a major clinical and imaging challenge. This review article attempts to introduce a systematic nomenclature to address typical symptoms, imaging and major differential diagnoses. Results SM with its subtypes-mesenteric lipodystrophy, panniculitis and retractile mesenteritis-is a chronic process with a very diverse and heterogeneous clinical appearance. The typical radiological characteristics ("misty mesentery", increased lymph nodes, pseudocapsule and "fat halo") are also not very specific. A link between SM and malignant diseases is not proven, but there is controversial discussion. Therefore, if there are doubts about the diagnosis, further examinations and a biopsy are desired. Conclusion When diagnosing SM, "red flags", i. e. characteristics that are atypical for SM in imaging, should be considered. In case of ambiguous imaging, differential diagnostics should also consider malignant diseases and exclude them.

Here we report a case of sclerosing mesenteritis that we diagnosed with needle biopsy under the guidance of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US) observation. An 82-year-old woman presented with appetite loss, weight loss and epigastric pain. CT of the abdomen and pelvis revealed increased density of the mesentery adjacent to the small bowel and enlarged lymph nodes. Sclerosing mesenteritis was suspected, but malignancies, such as lymphoma, were also considered. We performed CT and US-guided needle biopsy with the coaxial technique. An introducer needle was inserted, its correct location was documented with CT, and multiple specimens were taken with a finer needle passed through the introducer without incident. Adequate specimens were obtained, and the histological diagnosis of sclerosing mesenteritis was made. We treated the patient with corticosteroids and her symptoms and the radiographic findings improved. The coaxial technique was a useful and minimally invasive tool for making the diagnosis of sclerosing mesenteritis.

Background Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) is sometimes used as an umbrella-term for idiopathic inflammatory conditions in the mesentery. Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) is a radiological finding and its relation to clinical SM is not fully understood. The aims of this study were to determine whether any correlation could be found between the radiological findings and the clinical disease course. Methods Patients observed due to idiopathic inflammation of the mesentery were identified. If SM could be verified histologically or MP radiologically, the patients were included in this descriptive retro perspective study. Results Typical radiological changes were observed in 27 patients. A majority (23/27) of these patients had mild to moderate symptoms. This group with typical radiology was labelled MP. Four patients were included due to histologically verified disease but had uncharacteristic radiology involving multiple compartments of the abdomen. All four had marked systemic inflammation, fever and fluctuating radiologic findings. Three had severe disease with multiple hospitalisations and complications but responded promptly to corticosteroids. This group was denoted SM. Conclusions We have identified two subgroups of patients; firstly, MP with stable and characteristic radiologic changes and secondly SM with atypical radiology and a more aggressive clinical course. We propose that the term SM should be reserved for this latter condition.

Sclerosing mesenteritis includes a spectrum of inflammatory disorders involving the adipose tissue of the bowel mesentery. To perform a systematic review of previously reported cases of sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) to determine the epidemiology, risk factors, methods of diagnosis, treatment patterns and outcomes for this disease. Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane database were searched using keywords mesenteric panniculitis, retractile mesenteritis, mesenteric lipodystrophy and sclerosing mesenteritis. Data was collated into a single excel database, transferred into SPSS (Version 21.0) and analyzed. Patients diagnosed with SM were between ages of 3 and 88 with a mean age of 55 ± 19.2 years. SM was more common in Caucasians (n = 28, 60.8% of those reporting ethnicity) and men (n = 133, 69.3%) with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1. 28.6% (n = 55) of patients reported a prior abdominal surgery or abdominal trauma, 8.9% (n = 17) had a history of malignancy, and 5.7% (n = 11) of autoimmune disease. 85.4% (n = 164) underwent surgical abdominal exploration (open or laparoscopic); 41.7% (n = 80) had surgery with resection of the involved bowel and mesentery. 34.9% (n = 67) of patients received medical treatment with the majority of them receiving steroids (n = 56, 83.5%). Symptom duration of more than a month (66.7% vs 40.4%, p

Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) is an extremely rare disease characterized by chronic non-specific inflammation, fat necrosis and fibrosis of the mesentery. We presented a 77-year-old man with progressive dyschezia, abdominal pain and mass in left lower quadrant. Computed tomography (CT) exhibited a thickened mesentery, enlarged lymph nodes and strand-like densities around the mesenteric vessels. However, laboratory investigation, colonoscopy and positron emission tomography did not provide any specific results for diagnosis. Because of the exacerbating abdominal pain, partial colectomy was performed and SM was diagnosed based on the pathological changes of mesentery including fat necrosis, multifocal lipid-filled macrophages, lymphocytes and multifocal fibrosis. Although SM is difficult to diagnose and often found by incident, progressive deterioration of abdominal symptoms and general status alteration are indicators of SM. Some typical imaging and pathologic manifestations are also helpful to SM diagnosis. There is no standard treatment for SM. Operation is preferred in those at the stage of fibrosis and particularly combined with intestinal obstruction. Therefore, a multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to diagnose and manage this rare disease, with combined approaches in gastroenterology, colorectal surgery, pathology and radiology. Gastroenterol Res. 2017;10(1):50-55 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/gr732w

Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare benign disease presenting with chronic inflammation of the mesenteric adipose tissue and variable degrees of fibrosis. A 47-year-old black man presented to the emergency department with symptoms of small bowel obstruction, requiring surgical treatment. The laparotomy revealed a stenosis of the distal ileum with mesenteric thickening and an enterectomy was performed. The postoperative period was complicated by the maintenance of bowel obstruction. The patient underwent a second laparotomy, in which the fibrosing process of the mesentery was much aggravated, and an ileo-colic resection was needed. After knowledge of the histological diagnosis, the patient was started on immunomodulators with clinical improvement. At 26 months of follow-up, patient is asymptomatic under medical treatment. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of a patient with progressive fibrosis in such short period of time requiring surgical re-intervention for bowel obstruction, owing to sclerosing mesenteritis.

Objectives Systematic review to determine any association between imaging features of idiopathic mesenteric panniculitis (MP) and subsequent malignancy. Methods Two researchers searched primary literature independently for imaging studies of MP. They extracted data focusing on methodology for unbiased patient accrual and capability to determine a link between MP and subsequent malignancy. They noted imaging features of MP. Data were accrued and meta-analysis intended. Results Fourteen of 675 articles were eligible; 1,226 patients. Only three (21 %) accrued patients prospectively. Twelve (86 %) studies described CT features. Follow-up varied widely; 1 month to 8 years. Prevalence of MP was influenced by accrual: 0.2 % for keyword search versus 1.7 % for consecutive series. Accrual bias affected nine (64 %) studies. 458 (38 %) of 1,209 patients had malignancy at accrual but varied widely (8–89 %), preventing meta-analysis. Sixty (6.4 %) of 933 patients developed new malignancy subsequently, also varying widely (0–11 %). Of just four studies that determined the proportion of unselected, consecutive patients with MP developing subsequent malignancy, three were retrospective and the fourth excluded patients with lymphadenopathy, likely excluding patients with MP. Conclusion Studies were heterogeneous, with biased accrual. No available study can determine an association between MP and subsequent malignancy with certainty. Key Points • Our systematic review of mesenteric panniculitis found that imaging studies were biased. • Spectrum and recruitment bias was largely due to retrospective study designs. • No study could confirm a certain link between mesenteric panniculitis and subsequent malignancy. • Excessive methodological heterogeneity precluded meaningful meta-analysis. • High-quality research linking mesenteric panniculitis imaging features and subsequent malignancy is needed.

Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) is histologically characterized by chronic nonspecific inflammation of the adipose tissue of the intestinal mesentery with unclear etiology. MP occurs predominantly in men, mostly in mid to late adulthood. MP is typically found as an incidental diagnosis on abdominal CT. A comprehensive review of the literature including case reports and cohort studies was performed. Therefore, a global search in PubMed was carried out. Search terms were (and/or) "mesenteric panniculitis", "panniculitis mesenterialis", "mesenteric lymph nodes", "CT", "imaging", "sclerosing mesenteritis", "case report", "therapy". MP is a relatively common CT finding. The true prevalence seems to be higher than the reported 0.6 % to 2.4 % due to underreporting. The most important differential diagnosis is malignant lymphoma, which may be difficult to distinguish from MP. The majority of patients with MP are clinically asymptomatic and do not require therapy. In rare symptomatic cases, non-specific symptoms like abdominal pain, fever, nausea or vomiting occur. For therapy, glucocorticoids and tamoxifen have been suggested. Several studies suggested that MP is associated with other diseases and might be a paraneoplastic phenomenon, but four recently published case-control studies suggest that MP is an independent non-specific benign age-related phenomenon. However, two further studies show a possible association of MP with malignant lymphoma. The clinical relevance of MP remains the subject of scientific debate. · Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) is a non-specific, chronic inflammation of the mesenteric adipose tissue with characteristic CT signs. · MP is a relatively common incidental finding on abdominal CT. · Malignant lymphoma is the main differential diagnosis. · An association of MP with other diseases including malignancy has been discussed but cannot be confirmed unequivocally. · MP is rarely symptomatic with fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea.· Gögebakan Ö, Osterhoff MA, Albrecht T. Mesenteric Panniculitis (MP): A Frequent Coincidental CT Finding of Debatable Clinical Significance. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2018; 190: 1044 - 1052. Bei einer Panniculitis mesenterialis (PM) handelt es sich um eine unspezifische, chronische Veränderung des mesenterialen Fettgewebes unklarer Ätiologie. Sie ist bevorzugt bei Männern und häufig im mittleren bis höheren Erwachsenenalter anzutreffen. Die PM wird in der Regel als Zufallsbefund im Rahmen einer abdominellen CT-Untersuchung festgestellt. Es wurde eine umfassende Literaturrecherche in PubMed durchgeführt, bei der Fallberichte und Kohortenstudien einer systematischen Betrachtung unterzogen wurden. Schlüsselwörter waren (und/oder) „Mesenteric Panniculitis“, „Panniculitis mesenterialis“, „mesenteric lymph nodes“, „CT“, „imaging“, „sclerosing mesenteritis“, „case report“, „therapy“. Die PM kommt relativ häufig vor, bleibt jedoch oft im CT-Befund unerwähnt. Somit ist von einer größeren Prävalenz als den berichteten 0,6 bis 2,4 % auszugehen. Die wichtigste, mitunter schwer abzugrenzende Differentialdiagnose, ist das maligne Lymphom. In der Mehrzahl der Fälle bleibt die PM asymptomatisch, selten ist sie Ursache für ein unspezifisches klinisches Erscheinungsbild u. a. mit Bauchschmerzen, Fieber, Erbrechen oder Übelkeit. In äußerst seltenen Fällen besteht eine Therapieindikation; in der Literatur wird hauptsächlich der Einsatz von Glukokortikoiden und Tamoxifen beschrieben. In der Vergangenheit wurde häufig die These vertreten, eine PM sei mit verschiedenen Erkrankungen assoziiert bzw. ein paraneoplastisches Phänomen. Vier kürzlich publizierte Studien mit Fall-Kontroll-Design kommen jedoch zu dem Schluss, dass es sich bei der PM um eine unspezifische, benigne Veränderung handelt. Zwei weitere Studien weisen wiederum auf eine mögliche Assoziation mit malignen Lymphomen hin. Der klinische Stellenwert der PM bleibt somit weiterhin Gegenstand wissenschaftlicher Diskussionen. · Die Panniculitis mesenterialis (PM) ist eine unspezifische, chronische Entzündung des mesenterialen Fettgewebes mit charakteristischen Zeichen im CT.. · Die PM stellt häufig einen CT-Zufallsbefund dar. · Die wichtigste Differentialdiagnose ist das maligne Lymphom. · Eine Assoziation mit anderen und insbesondere malignen Erkrankungen wird diskutiert, lässt sich jedoch nicht eindeutig nachweisen. · Die PM wird äußerst selten klinisch symptomatisch, wenn dann mit z. B. Fieber, Übelkeit, Erbrechen, Bauchschmerzen.

Highlights • Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) is difficult to be diagnosed preoperatively if careful attention is not given at imaging ordered. • Vessel encasement seen on imaging is not definite till you confirm it during surgery. • Debilitating disease even with complete excision. • Long term follow up is required with good palliative care., Mesenteric panniculitis (MP), also known as sclerosing mesenteritis (SM), retractile mesenteritis or mesenteric lipodystrophy, is a rarely diagnosed inflammatory condition of unknown etiology that involves the mesenteric adipose tissue. We are presenting a case of sclerosing mesenteritis which presented us with features suggestive of malignant lesion and turned out to be benign one. An elderly gentleman of 68 years male presented to us with history of nonprogressive pain abdomen since 2 months associated with low grade fever and on and off constipation. On evaluation with CECT he was found to have mesenteric mass probably malignant. PET/CT showed an FDG avid lesion suggestive of malignancy, requiring surgery. He underwent radical excision of mesentery with resection of corresponding bowel. Final histopathology report showed poorly defined lesion comprised of nodular, poorly defined proliferation of bland looking fibroblast like cells, which at places are lying in fascicles, in a background of dense fibrosis and mature fat cells, with prominent focal lymphocytic infiltrate, at place forming reactive follicles, suggestive of sclerosing mesenteritis. Now patient is on follow up for further therapy.

A large mass in the abdomen was revealed by ultrasonography on a 68-year-old woman presenting with abdominal pain and weight loss. To exclude the malignancy, an F-FDG PET/CT was performed, which showed a solitary soft tissue mass with heterogeneous F-FDG avidity at the root of small bowel mesentery. Because of the elevation of inflammatory markers and serum IgG4 level, IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis was suspected, which was proved by the subsequent biopsy. The mass gradually shrunk and ultimately disappeared in 6 months after a low-dose steroid therapy.