MESENTERIC PANNICULITIS OF THE COLON

Mesenteric panniculitis is a recently described, non-specific inflamma tory disorder of the intestinal mesentery. The majority of cases repor ted concern the mesentery of the small intestine. We report a case of mesenteric panniculitis of the colon in a patient with Crohn's disease and review 22 reported cases of mesenteric panniculitis of the colon. The clinical presentation of patients with colonic mesenteric pannicu litis was variable, although different from that of small intestinal m esenteric panniculitis. The condition has been reported in all except two cases, and was aided by ultrasonography and computerised tomograph y. Mesenteric panniculitis of the colon would appear to carry a poorer prognosis than small intestinal mesenteric panniculitis as it present s at a more advanced stage and because of the dangers inherent in colo nic obstruction secondary to the panniculitis. We recommend that surgi cal intervention should be restricted to biopsy to confirm diagnosis, and resection of obstructing mass lesions.