Mesenteric panniculitis is a benign inflammatory condition that involves the adipose tissue of the intestinal mesentery. Clinical manifestations are uncommon, non specific and atypical. Mesenteric panniculitis is thus most often an incidental finding during an investigation for other reason, mostly on computed tomography scans. The rate of malignancy in patients with mesenteric panniculitis, especially urogenital and gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas or lymphomas, has been reported to be as high, thus suggesting that there may be a relationship between mesenteric panniculitis and progression of an underlying malignancy or the risk of a future malignancy.

The aim was:

to estimate the prevalence of mesenteric panniculitis. to study relationship between mesenteric panniculitis and malignancy. to investigate the 5-year outcome of patients with mesenteric panniculitis for the development of malignancy.

inclusion criteria:

• Patients with a CT scan from January to August 2008
• Patients with diagnosis of mesenteric panniculitis on CT scan

exclusion criteria:

• Patients with disease that may cause mesenteric infiltration

Patients with a CT scan from January to August 2008 for which mesenteric panniculitis was diagnosed