MR findings in a rare case of sclerosing mesenteritis of the mesocolon

Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare, usually benign disorder of the mesentery. Depending on the predominant tissue component (inflammation, fat, or fibrosis), it is known as mesenteric panniculitis or retractile mesenteritis. We present a rare case of retractile mesenteritis of the mesocolon as a cause of severe abdominal pain. US, CT, and MRI were the imaging modalities used. We emphasize the MR finding of a fibrous capsula in retractile mesenteritis, as this is to our knowledge the first study to describe this entity. This finding may be valuable for establishing a diagnosis of sclerosing mesenteritis, as well as for differentiating this disease from other mesenteric diseases. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005;21:632–636. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.