Mesenteritis secondary to the use of a pneumatic jackhammer

Mesenteritis is an uncommon condition characterized by a variable clinical course, in which spontaneous remission may occur, but in which uncontrollable disease activity leads to death [corrected]. We describe a construction worker with mesenteritis who presented with vague abdominal discomfort and mucoid diarrhoea. A large, irregular mass was found in the abdomen. Upon explorative laparotomy, a large, rubbery, grey and yellow, irresectable tumorous mass was found, which apparently originated from the mesentery of the small bowel. The large bowel was expanded over the tumorous mass. A defunctioning colostomy was made. Histologic examination of biopsy specimens revealed only fatty necrosis of the mesentery and no evidence of malignancy. It is assumed that a pseudotumour of the mesentery had developed after chronic repetitive abdominal trauma caused by the continuous vibration of a pneumatic jackhammer, on which the patient pressed his abdomen during construction work. In this case of mesenteritis, the clinical course was one of spontaneous and complete recovery.