Is there an association between mesenteric panniculitis and lymphoma? A case control analysis.

AIM: To determine the prevalence and association of mesenteric panniculitis (MP) in a group of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) compared to control group.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated computed tomography (CT) and combined positron-emission tomography (PET) with CT examinations of a total of 166 patients who were diagnosed with NHL over a period of 5 years (2008-2013). The control group consisted of 332 subjects who were matched for gender and age at the time period the examinations were performed on the study group. A combination of radiological signs and absence of 2-[18 F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG)-uptake was used to establish the diagnosis of MP and distinguish it from the involvement of mesentery by lymphoma.

RESULTS: MP was identified in three patients (prevalence 1.8%) from the study group as compared to seven subjects out of 332 (2.1%) in the control group (p=0.556). During the course of follow-up no changes in the imaging features of MP were seen in either group. Additionally, 27 (16.2%) patients from the study group were found to have changes in the mesentery, which were attributed to the involvement of the mesentery in the primary disease.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MP among patients with NHL was found to be 1.8%, which corresponds to the range of its prevalence in the general population. This is contrary to the proposition that MP is associated with NHL.