[Mesentery, the visceral "ambassador" functioning as an abdominal organ]

Recent studies using molecular diagnostic and imaging techniques have shed new light on the mesenteric complex, its intra-abdominal location and role, and its role in local and systemic pathogenesis. One of the most important aims is the clarification of the role of mesenteric adipocytes and the adipokines they produce in inflammatory processes. There is now growing evidence that among the multifactorial origins described in the development of Crohn's disease, mesenteric "fat wrapping", proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress processes due to the reactive oxygen species, and an altered microbiota localizing to the mesentery as a whole play a mutually potentiating role. The clinical implication of basic research is that newly developed mesenteric-based surgical strategies after Crohn's disease surgery are associated with improved outcomes, fewer relapses and fewer reoperations. Nowadays, the role of the mesenterium as mediator, as "ambassador", is unquestionable. Orv Hetil. 2026; 167(3): 88-97.