Mesenteric Panniculitis Demonstrated on 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine

Background:

• Mesenteric panniculitis is an inflammatory condition affecting mesenteric adipose tissue.
• Its etiology is unknown, and clinical symptoms like abdominal pain and fever are non-specific, complicating diagnosis.

Observation:

• A 48-year-old man presented with persistent abdominal pain and fever unresponsive to initial treatments.
• A computed tomography (CT) scan was inconclusive.
• An F-FDG PET/CT scan was performed for further investigation.

Findings:

• The F-FDG PET/CT scan revealed uniformly high uptake of F-FDG in the mesenteric adipose tissue.
• This uptake was observed across the mesocolon, mesoappendix, mesosigmoid, and mesorectum.

Implications:

• F-FDG PET/CT can be a valuable diagnostic tool for mesenteric panniculitis.
• This imaging modality can help identify characteristic metabolic patterns in affected mesenteric tissues.
• Early and accurate diagnosis can potentially lead to better patient management.