Sclerosing Mesenteritis: A Rare Cause of Small Bowel Obstruction

Sclerosing mesenteritis falls within a spectrum of primary idiopathic inflammatory and fibrotic processes that affect the mesentery. The exact etiology has not been determined, although the following associations have been noted: abdominal surgery, trauma, autoimmunity, paraneoplastic syndrome, ischemia and infection. Progression of sclerosing mesentritis can lead to bowel obstruction, a rare complication of this uncommon condition. We report a case of a 66-year-old female with abdominal pain who was noted to have a small bowel obstruction requiring laparotomy and a partial small bowel resection. The pathology of the resected tissue was consistent with sclerosing mesenteritis, a rare cause of a small bowel obstruction. Sclerosing mesenteritis has variable rates of progression, and there is no consensus regarding the optimal treatment. Physicians should consider sclerosing mesenteritis in the differential diagnosis of a small bowel obstruction.