MESENTERIC PANNICULITIS, A RARE CONDITION

Panniculitis mesenterialis is an illness of the mesenterium of the sma ll intestine and is not familiar to all clinical physicians. The rare reports in the literature mostly describe a good outcome with a few ca ses ending lethal. Pathologists paying attention to detect panniculiti s during postmortem examination report about an incidence of about 1%. This discrepancy may be based on the fact that only extended changes of the mesenterial fat tissue cause symptoms. The pathological base co nsists in extensive necrosis of fat tissue with fibrosis of the mesent erium. Aetiology is unknown, diagnosis is usually made during laparoto my. There is no specific treatment, prognosis is generally good.