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From the Archives of the AFIP

Benign Fibrous Tumors and Tumorlike Lesions of the Mesentery: Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation¹

¹ From the Department of Radiologic Pathology (A.D.L.) and Department of Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Pathology (A.K.M., L.H.S.), Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 6825 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20306-6000; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md (A.D.L.); and Department of Radiology, UDIAT Diagnostic Center, Sabadell, Spain (J.R.). Received August 1, 2005; revision requested September 13 and received September 28; accepted September 28. All authors have no financial relationships to disclose. Address correspondence to A.D.L. (e-mail: levya{at}afip.osd.mil).

Mesenteric fibromatosis, sclerosing mesenteritis, inflammatory pseudotumor, and extrapleural solitary fibrous tumor constitute a loosely associated group of benign fibrous tumors and tumorlike lesions of the mesentery. These lesions are linked histologically by the presence of fibroblasts or fibrosis and anatomically by their location within the mesentery. Although rare, and distinctly different in pathogenesis and biologic behavior, these fibrous lesions have pathologic and radiologic features that overlap with one another and with more common neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions of the mesentery. Mesenteric fibromatosis is a locally aggressive, benign proliferative process that may occur sporadically or in association with familial adenomatous polyposis. It most frequently manifests as a focal mesenteric mass and may simulate lymphoma, metastatic disease, or a soft-tissue sarcoma. Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare idiopathic disorder that most commonly produces a stellate mass within the mesentery and should be differentiated from metastatic disease, specifically metastatic carcinoid, because it frequently responds to conservative or medical management. Inflammatory pseudotumor (inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor) is a benign, chronic inflammatory disorder of unknown cause that manifests as a solid mesenteric mass, indistinguishable from malignancy. Extrapleural solitary fibrous tumor is a tumor of submesothelial origin that is identical to the solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura. When located in the mesentery or peritoneal cavity, extrapleural solitary fibrous tumor has an imaging pattern that must be differentiated from metastatic disease, soft-tissue sarcomas, and other benign and malignant neoplasms of the mesentery and peritoneum. Knowledge of this group of benign fibrous tumors and tumorlike lesions of the mesentery is important in the preoperative evaluation of a mesenteric mass.

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				A. D. Levy, J. Arnaiz, J. C. Shaw, and L. H. Sobin From the Archives of the AFIP: Primary Peritoneal Tumors: Imaging Features with Pathologic Correlation RadioGraphics, March 1, 2008; 28(2): 583 - 607. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]