Sclerosing mesenteritis: a case series detailing importance of early diagnosis

Two patient cases are presented in this case series. Both patients presented with vague abdominal pain, and CT imaging showed calcified mesenteric masses. Definitive diagnoses of sclerosing mesenteritis was made on histological evaluation. Interestingly, one of these patients was initially misdiagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor after Octreotide scan showed increased mesenteric uptake. He underwent treatment for neuroendocrine tumor however had disease progression to small bowel obstruction, requiring emergent exploratory laparotomy with palliative resection of the mesenteric mass and involved small bowel. He experienced cardiac arrest in the immediate post-operative period and unfortunately did not survive. This case series exemplifies the importance of early diagnosis and management to prevent catastrophic complications in an otherwise benign disease.