Mesentericpanniculitisalso known assclerosingmesenteritisis a rare andchronic illness.
It causes inflammation and scarring of the fatty tissue of your mesentery.
Mesentery is a fold of membranes that anchors your smallintestineto your abdominal wall.
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Symptoms may or may not be present with mesenteric panniculitis.
When symptoms occur, they can vary from mild to harsh.
They often involve nonspecificstomach painthat can also be due to other problems.
This can make the illness hard to determine early.
It can sometimes resolve on its own.
This article describes mesenteric panniculitis symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Describing Abdominal Pain From Mesenteric Panniculitis
Mesenteric panniculitis can occur without symptoms.
It is possible to have this condition with few or no noticeable symptoms.
When symptoms occur, they can be chronic (long-lasting) or acute (sudden and short term).
The most common symptom involves chronic or intermittentabdominal pain.
Research indicates this symptom occurs in about 72% of people with mesenteric panniculitis.
Other symptoms common with this condition include the following:
What Causes Inflammation in Mesenteric Panniculitis?
The cause of mesenteric panniculitis is unknown.
The inflammation occurs independently of other disorders.
Your healthcare provider will use several procedures to diagnose mesenteric panniculitis as the cause of your symptoms.
Could Chronic Stomach Pain Be Mesenteric Panniculitis or Something Else?
Chronic stomach pain with mesenteric panniculitis does not define the disease.
Many causes of abdominal pain range from harmless to serious conditions.
Asymptomatic mesenteric panniculitis is usually not treated.
In many cases, the condition improves on its own.
There is no consensus on the treatment for mesenteric panniculitis.
The severity of your symptoms and complications determines options.
This involves removing part or all of the intestinal obstruction.
It can be done using open surgery or laparoscopic surgery.
However, surgery is generally not advised because the disease is typically self-limiting (resolves on its own).
In most cases, surgery is controversial and is not attempted to cure mesenteric panniculitis.
Recovery/General Outlook for Mesenteric Panniculitis
The outlook for most cases of mesenteric panniculitis is good.
The disease commonly stays asymptomatic and remains stable.
It may even improve on its own without treatment.
Generally, mesenteric panniculitis is not life-threatening and rarely causes complications.
While this illness is benign, it is chronic.
Some people have this condition but do not experience symptoms.
It is often found during imaging tests for other issues.
When it occurs without symptoms, treatment is not needed.
Others have symptoms that involve stomach pain and annoying issues that affect the digestive tract.
These problems can vary from mild to harsh.
Relief of symptoms is usually achieved with drug therapy.
While the cause of this problem is unknown, it is thought to be linked to many known conditions.
Surgery may be needed when problems like an intestinal blockage occur.
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