Mesenteric Panniculitis Mimicking Acute Pancreatitis: A Case Report and Literature review

Mesenteric panniculitis is a rare disease characterized by an chronic non-specific inflammation of the adipose tissue of the mesentery of the small intestine and colon. The specific etiology of the disease is unknown. The condition is referred to as retractile mesenteritis when fibrosis predominates but generally sclerosing mesenteritis is the common pathological terminology used for the condition.
CT scan is highly suggestive of the diagnosis which may be confirmed by surgical biopsies. Treatment is empiric and surgical resection is sometimes attempted for definitive therapy. We report a case of a 77 year old man presenting with CT features of mesenteric panniculitis currently in remission. The aim is to highlight this condition and possibly avoid the negative laparotomies done on suspected cases of pancreatitis in our region.