Sclerosing mesenteritis. Report of two cases.

Two cases of benign tumor-like mesenteric lesions are presented. The limited literature on comparable and similar lesions is reviewed, and the histologic findings are correlated. The lesions are composed of chronically inflamed adipose and fibrous tissue in various proportions. They probably represent different stages of a reparative process initiated by damage of the mesenteric adipose tissue of various etiologies. Whereas lesions in the younger age groups (mean 39.9 years) are predominatly characterized the fibrosis, those in the older age groups (mean 55.8 years) usually show a chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate rather than fibrosis. More than a dozen terms have been used for these lesions. The summarizing term "sclerosing mesenteritis" is proposed.