title: Sclerosing Mesenteritis and Disturbance of Glucose Metabolism: A New Relationship? A Case Series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sclerosing mesenteritis is an idiopathic inflammatory and fibrotic disease that affects the mesentery. It is a rare disease, with the total number of reported cases in the literature ranging from 122 to 300. It mainly affects men in the sixth decade of life, and its etiology remains unknown. Clinical presentation is variable, but it is frequently asymptomatic. Diagnosis is often made by computed tomography (CT) scan, although biopsy may be needed for confirmation. An association between other diseases (e.g., neoplasms) and sclerosing mesenteritis has been described, but the relationship between the latter and glucose changes is not disclosed in the currently available literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five cases of sclerosing mesenteritis and glucose metabolism disorders (impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes mellitus) were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The mean age was 65 ± 9.3 years, 80% were male, and all patients were white. Three patients were asymptomatic and the other 2 (40%) had non-specific chronic abdominal pain. Blood tests revealed normal inflammatory parameters (mean HbA1c was 6.4% and fasting blood glucose was 140 mg/dL). The diagnosis was made by abdominal CT scan. The 2 symptomatic patients underwent therapy with colchicine 1 mg/day, with clinical improvement. During the mean 43-month follow-up period, there was no symptomatic progression, thereby maintaining the usual benign course of this condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sclerosing mesenteritis has only been described in small series and isolated cases, but its diagnosis is becoming more common due to greater access to diagnostic methods and higher awareness of the disease in the medical community. Furthermore, despite the small sample size, we describe a possible association between glucose metabolism impairment and sclerosing mesenteritis.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: João Pedro
authors: JP
authors: Tavares Pereira
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Romão
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Margarida
authors: M
authors: Eulálio
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Jorge
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Filipe
authors: F
authors: Breda
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospiatalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Suzana
authors: S
authors: Calretas
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospiatalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Leitão
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Centro Hospiatalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Gisela
authors: G
authors: Eugénio
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospiatalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Santos
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Hospiatalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Armando
authors: A
authors: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015436:Panniculitis, Peritoneal / Q000150:complications*