Spontaneous remission of sclerosing mesenteritis

Abstract

Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare fibroinflammatory disorder mostly affecting the small bowel mesentery with unknown etiology. Its clinical presentation varies according to the pathologic stages of sclerosing mesenteritis. In the early stages, nonspecific abdominal symptoms are usually seen, whereas severe small intestinal obstructive symptoms predominate in late stages. Diagnosis is usually obtained with the use of imaging techniques like computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Sclerosing mesenteritis is a self-limiting disease, and complete remission is seen in most patients. Medical and surgical treatment is reserved for symptomatic and complicated cases, respectively. In this paper, we describe a case of sclerosing mesenteritis in a 31-year-old male patient who presented with abdominal pain and weight loss. He was diagnosed as sclerosing mesenteritis with the help of two consecutive computerized tomographys. The mass spontaneously and completely disappeared in one month.