Mesenteric Fibromatosis Invading Transverse Colon. Report of a Case

Akihiro Hosaka, Kazuki Yamasaki, Fumio Aoki and Yukiyoshi Masaki

Department of Surgery, Ome Municipal General Hospital

Mesenteric fibromatosis is a rare clinical entity. We report a 41-year-old woman with the disease who presented with lower abdominal pain. Preoperative examination including ultrasonography, computed tomography, and colonoscopy indicated a submucosal tumor in the transverse colon. After laparotomy, the lesion was diagnosed pathologically as a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, 4.2 cm in diameter, originating in the muscle layer of the colon. One year and eight months postoperatively, computed tomography showed an intraabdominal mass, 5 cm in size, adjacent to the transverse colon. Upon laparotomy, we found a tumor involving the anastomosis site from the previous operation. Postoperative pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of mesenteric fibromatosis. The specimen resected in the previous operation was reexamined and diagnosed as the same disease. Mesenteric fibromatosis does not metastasize but often invades surrounding tissues and tends to recur locally. The diagnosis may be difficult, especially when it involves the intestinal muscle layer.

Key words
mesenteric fibromatosis, desmoid tumor, GIST

Reprint requests
Akihiro Hosaka Department of Surgery, Ome Municipal General Hospital
4-16-5 Higashi Ome, Ome, 198-0042 JAPAN

Accepted
February 20, 2008

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