Retractile mesenteritis. Report of four cases

Retractile mesenteritis is a rare condition in which the inflammation proce ss of the mesentery is the characteristic pathological. The histologic chan ges are variable proportions of fat necrosis, chronic inflammation and fibr osis. The clinical presentation of this process is diverse, also the natura l history is variable, ranging from a benign to fatal disease. We retrieved 4 cases of retractile mesenteritis and evaluated the clinical manifestatio ns. There was no gender predominance. The patients aged range was 63-69 yea rs (average 65) Patients more often presented with abdiminal mass (cases n: 1 and n: 4) and chronic diarrhea (cases n: 1 and 3). the etiology is unkno wn, the treatment is empirical, including corticosteroids, colchicine, immu nosuppressive drugs and oral progesterone.