Suppurative mesenteric lymphadenitis in children. Case reports.

Suppurative mesenteric lymphadenitis is so rarely encountered and its symptoms and findings so nonspecific tht it has not yet been diagnosed preoperatively. It seems to occur mainly in children between the ages of 3 and 13 years and presents in a manner suggestive of acute appendicitis. A palpable mass may further support this diagnosis (peri-appendiceal abscess) or encourage the consideration of other diagnoses such as lymphoma or inflammatory bowel disease. Even at laparotomy the diagnosis may not be immediately obvious. The organism is usually a haemolytic streptococcus, but a variety of other organisms have also been isolated. In the second case reported here, a pure growth of Staphylococcus aureus was obtained. Treatment consists of operative drainage with incidental appendicectomy followed by a course of the appropriate antibiotic. The postoperative course is usually uneventful and recovery rapid. The aetiology and mechanisms still have to be explained.