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Updated: Feb 22, 2026
Multimodality Diagnosis of Mesenteric Ischemia
Published on: July 21, 2023
Diagnosis of mesenteric panniculitis in the multi-detector computed tomography era. Association with malignancy and
Waleed S Mahafza1, Karam A Manzalawi, Azza A Gharaibeh
1Diagnostic Radiology Department, The Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan. E-mail. wmahafza@hotmail.com.
Objectives:
To assess the prevalence and associations of mesenteric panniculitis (MP) using multi-detector CT (MDCT).
Methods:
This retrospective study included 4758 consecutive patients who underwent abdomino-pelvic MDCT between January 2012 and December 2014 at Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan. Radiological database was searched for MP diagnosis and patients with suspected MP were re-evaluated by an experienced radiologist to confirm the diagnosis. Data on all patients with confirmed MP diagnosis were subsequently collected and analyzed.
Results:
Computed tomography features of MP were identified in 90 patients (41 males, 49 females), a prevalence of 1.9%. Mesenteric panniculitis was identified in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Malignancy was found in 28 MP patients (31%) and 44 of the MP patients (49%) had prior history of abdomino-pelvic surgery. Mesenteric panniculitis was significantly more frequently associated with prior abdomino-pelvic surgery (p=0.0001) and the likelihood of associated malignancy in patients with MP was 2.1-fold higher than in patients without MP (p=0.0013). Conclusion: Mesenteric panniculitis can be reliably diagnosed by MDCT due to its typical CT appearance. Its identification is important because of its significant association with malignancy and because it represents one of the differential diagnoses in patients with nonspecific symptoms referred for abdomino-pelvic CT.
Insights
Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) affects 1.9% of patients and is often linked to prior abdominal surgery. Early MDCT diagnosis of MP is crucial due to its association with malignancy.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
Background:
- Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) is an uncommon inflammatory condition affecting the mesentery.
- Its diagnosis can be challenging due to nonspecific symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of mesenteric panniculitis (MP) in patients undergoing multi-detector CT (MDCT).
- To investigate the associations of MP with patient history, including prior surgery and malignancy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 4758 abdomino-pelvic MDCT scans performed between January 2012 and December 2014.
- Radiological diagnosis of MP confirmed by an experienced radiologist.
Main Results:
- Mesenteric panniculitis (MP) was identified in 90 patients (1.9% prevalence).
- MP was associated with prior abdomino-pelvic surgery (49%) and malignancy (31%).
- Patients with MP had a 2.1-fold higher likelihood of associated malignancy.
Conclusions:
- Multi-detector CT (MDCT) is effective for diagnosing mesenteric panniculitis (MP) based on characteristic imaging findings.
- Identifying MP is clinically significant due to its strong association with malignancy and its role in the differential diagnosis of abdominal symptoms.
