Mesenteritic panniculitis: detection by abdominal ultrasonography

to describe the findings that allowed us to detect mesenteric panniculitis in sonographic abdominal studies.

we retrospectively evaluated the images of 10 patients diagnosed of mesenteric panniculitis, initially detected by sonography. Diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) in all cases, and by surgical biopsy in one of them. Two patients were symptomatic, and it was an incidental finding in the remaining eight cases.

the characteristic sonographic appearance consisted of thickening of mesenteric fat around mesenteric vessels, with an elliptical or rounded shape, a convex or lobulated and well-defined anterior border and an homogeneous or slightly heterogeneous structure, with nodular images in three of the cases. Mesenteric vessels were identified, without evidence of distortion. There was a reduction of compressibility in relation to normal mesenteric tissue.

although we cannot presently state the specificity of the findings described, mesenteric panniculitis can be detected by abdominal sonography. This technique provides guidance for the diagnosis and, eventually, percutaneous biopsy.