What is mesenteric panniculitis?

Mesenteric panniculitis is characterized by fat degeneration and necrosis, chronic inflammation, and at times, scarring and fibrosis of fatty tissue within the mesentery. This inflammatory and at times progressive condition is most consistent with autoimmune disorders.

What doctor do you see for mesenteric panniculitis?

In conclusion, mesenteric panniculitis is a rare clinical entity that occurs independently or in association with other disorders. Diagnosis of this nonspecific, benign inflammatory disease is a challenge to gastroenterologists, radiologists, surgeons and pathologists.

Is mesenteric panniculitis an inflammatory bowel disease?

Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) is mostly an associated sign of an intra-abdominal or systemic inflammatory primary disease.

Is panniculitis serious?

Mesenteric panniculitis typically isn’t life-threatening. It may go away on its own, or it could develop into a severe disease. But while the inflammation is there, it can cause pain and other symptoms that interfere with your life. Your doctor can give you medicine to manage this inflammation and control symptoms.

How common is mesenteric panniculitis?

Mesenteric panniculitis or sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare disorder that affects the abdomen. The exact cause of it is unknown, but the disorder is associated with certain risk factors and conditions. Symptoms of mesenteric panniculitis can vary between individuals but often include inflammation and abdominal pain.

What can I eat with mesenteric panniculitis?

For people with inflammatory conditions, I recommend a diet low in pro-inflammatory red meat and high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Keeping a food diary can help identify if there are foods that seem to trigger symptoms in you.

How do you get rid of panniculitis?

If you have panniculitis from a bacterial infection, your doctor will most likely prescribe anti-inflammatory antibiotics, which will clear up the infection. Panniculitis caused by sarcoidosis will most likely go away within the first couple of years in which you have the disease.

What are mild cases of mesenteric panniculitis?

Mild cases are referred to a “misty mesentery”. Enlargement and calcification of mesenteric and pelvic lymph nodes are commonly present. Because mesenteric panniculitis is not an invasive disorder, blood vessels within the mesentery appear to be spared from the inflammatory mass.

When is surgery indicated in the treatment of mesenteric panniculitis?

When individuals with mesenteric panniculitis develop small intestinal obstruction, surgery may be required. In general, surgery should be avoided in patients with mesenteric panniculitis and there should never be an attempt to surgically remove the mesenteric mass for the purpose of curing the disease.

What is the halo sign in mesenteric panniculitis?

Because mesenteric panniculitis is not an invasive disorder, blood vessels within the mesentery appear to be spared from the inflammatory mass. This is referred to as the “halo sign” and is highly characteristic of mesenteric panniculitis as opposed to malignancy of the mesentery.