Mesenteric cyst: sonographic findings.
BACKGROUND
Mesenteric cyst (MC) is a relatively rare disease, and its sonographic characteristics have not been sufficiently analyzed.


METHODS
We studied the sonographic findings of eight patients with MC, with attention paid to its size, shape, internal echoes, and especially the presence or absence of lateral shadowing and the mode of back echoes. In four cases, the sound velocity and acoustic impedance of cystic fluid were also measured. The mode of blood flow was evaluated by color Doppler sonography.


RESULTS
Six cases showed an oval or comma-shaped mass. Internal echoes were present in six cases, and two of them showed a pseudosolid pattern. In these cases, M-mode sonography confirmed the movement of these internal echoes. Only one case showed a posterior echo enhancement, and no case showed lateral shadowing. Sound velocity measured in four cases was 1,515-1,537 m/s, with an acoustic impedance of 1.550-1.576 kg/m2/s. No blood flow signals were obtained from the lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
MC exhibits so many patterns on ultrasound that we should consider the possibility of MC when encountering an avascular oval mesenteric mass.
Sato
M
M
First Department of Internal Medicine, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ishida
H
H
Konno
K
K
Komatsuda
T
T
Konno
S
S
Watanabe
S
S
Ishida
J
J
Sakai
T
T
Hirata
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008639:Mesenteric Cyst / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color