[Giant mesenteric fibromatosis: a case report]

The fibromatoses represent a broad group of fibroblastic proliferations characterized by infiltrative growth and a tendency toward recurrence but, unlike malignant fibrous tumors, they do not metastasize. Mesenteric fibromatosis arising from the mesentery of the small bowel is rare. It may be sporadic or may occur in association with polyposis coli and other soft tissue tumors as a component of Gardner's syndrome. We report a case of mesenteric fibromatosis in a 52-year-old man with no evidence of Gardner's syndrome. The neoplasm occupied the whole abdominal cavity, weighing 12 kg, with the greatest diameter being 50 cm. Histological findings (i.e moderate degree of cellularity, lack of nuclear pleomorphism and mitotic figures) allowed to rule out malignancy. Surgical removal is actually the only effective treatment for mesenteric fibromatosis. Excision must be as wide as possible in order to prevent local recurrence. Until now, no satisfactory results have been obtained with external radiotherapy. More recently, anti-inflammatory drugs have been used in the management of this tumor.