The mesentery in Crohn's disease: friend or foe?
This article assesses the role of the mesentery in Crohn's disease.



The mesentery is centrally positioned both anatomically and physiologically. Overlapping mesenteric and submucosal mesenchymal contributions are important in the pathobiology of Crohn's disease. Mesenteric contributions explain the topographic distribution of Crohn's disease in general and mucosal disease in particular. Operative strategies that are mesenteric based (i.e. mesocolic excision) may reduce rates of postoperative recurrence.



The net effect of mesenteric events in Crohn's disease is pathologic. This can be targeted by operative means.



http://links.lww.com/COG/A18.
aDepartment of Surgery, University Hospital Limerick bGraduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick c4I Centre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, University of Limerick dDepartment of Pathology, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
John Calvin
JC
Coffey
Donal Peter
DP
O'Leary
Miranda G
MG
Kiernan
Peter
P
Faul
D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008643:Mesentery / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055502:Secondary Prevention