Enterocolic lymphocytic phlebitis: an oncologic surgical resection without a preoperative pathologic diagnosis

A patient with complaints of an abdominal (mesenteric) mass is presented. Differential diagnosis included neoplastic processes, such as malignant lymphoma, desmoid tumour, a carcinoid or a gastro-intestinal stromal cell tumour. An oncological resection was performed. Despite the malignant appearance of the tumour no malignancy was found with histopathological examination. Vasculitic lesions were seen in venous structures, resembling veno-occlusive disease with signs of recanalization and with the presence of inflammatory cells, mainly lymphocytes. A diagnosis of enterocolic lymphocytic phlebitis was made. This benign condition can mimic malignancy, necessitating a wide excision, also because obtaining a pre-operative histopathological diagnosis is hardly possible.