Sclerosing Mesenteritis

Your healthcare provider will take radiological images of your mesentery to look for the characteristic signs of sclerosing mesenteritis. They may see the first signs on an abdominal ultrasound, which is quick and easy to do. When they suspect SM, they’ll proceed to a more sensitive imaging test, such as a CT scan (computed tomography scan) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). They’ll look for a focal mass with signs of tissue breakdown and fibrosis around it.

If these tests can’t distinguish between sclerosing mesenteritis and cancer, a PET scan may help to confirm the diagnosis. PET stands for positron emission tomography. It’s a type of nuclear medicine imaging that works by injecting a safe, radioactive tracer into your body. A CT scan or MRI can detect the radiation while producing images. Cancer cells absorb more of the radioactive tracer than other cells.

Biopsy

If all else fails, your provider may need to take a tissue sample of your mesentery for biopsy. A pathologist will analyze the tissue sample to make the final diagnosis. Usually, they can take the tissue sample (biopsy) through a needle inserted into your abdomen. Some people may need to have minimally invasive surgery to examine their mesentery and take the sample (laparoscopy).