Approach to the diagnosis and treatment of mesenteric panniculitis from the surgical point of view

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic and treatment approaches for patients diagnosed with mesenteric panniculitis Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients diagnosed with mesenteric panniculitis between January 2010 and March 2016. We recorded the demographic features, clinical symptoms, laboratory values, radiological methods, treatment approach, and outcomes of the patients. Results: We evaluated 22 patients (17 male and five female) with a mean age of 45.8±15.7 years. The most frequent complaint was abdominal pain. The patients' histories included colon cancer (n=1), prostatic cancer (n=2), renal cell cancer (n=1), diabetes mellitus (n=4), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=1). Laboratory values revealed elevated C-reactive protein levels in 14 patients (43%). Computed tomography was performed in all the patients. Only 10 patients were followed up in the surgical ward, the remaining 12 underwent outpatient treatment. No complication associated with hospitalization or during outpatient follow-up period was observed. Conclusion: Mesenteric panniculitis can be successfully treated conservatively without surgical intervention. Clinical doubt is of great importance for diagnosis, and plausible underlying malignancy should be kept in mind.