Exacerbated Retractile Mesenteritis – Rare Case of Abdominal Pain

Introduction

Retractile mesenteritis, mesenteric panniculitis and mesenteric lipodystrophy are conditions of sclerosing mesenteritis. One histopathologic finding is predominant at a given time. Fibrosis is predominant in retractile mesenteritis, chronic inflammation in mesenteric panniculitis and fat necrosis in mesenteric lipodystrophy (George V et al. RadioGraphics 2013; 33: 1053 – 1080). Apart from ischaemia of the mesenterium, the pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease under discussion include diseases of the rheumatic type, trauma, pancreatitis and tumour diseases. It may also be caused by previous abdominal surgery panniculitis (Sabaté JM et al. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999; 172: 625 – 629, Zissin R et al. Br J Radiol. 2006; 79: 37 – 43).