[Mesenteric panniculitis simulating malignancy].

BACKGROUND

Panniculitis mesenteritis is a rare, benign, and chronic fibrosing inflammation disease with unknown aetiology that affects the mesentery of small bowel and colon.

AIM: To report a new case of this entity and to highlight its diagnostic difficulties especially when it affects the mesocolon.

CASE REPORT: A 37 years-old women presented with chronic abdominal pain; physical examination found mass of left ilaca fossa. Closcopy and abdominal CT scan showed a thickness of bowel wall with negative biopsies. The patient underwent a colectomy. Histologic examination concluded to the diagnosis of Mesenteric panniculitis without malignant lesion.

CONCLUSION

Mesenteric panniculitis is a rare pathology which diagnosis is difficult to establish. It can simulate malignancy. A better knowledge of its clinical and radiological features could ovoid unnecessary digestive resection.