Sclerosing mesenteritis diagnosed using computed tomography- and ultrasound-guided needle biopsy -utility of the coaxial technique-

Abstract

Here, we report the case of an 82-year-old woman with sclerosing mesenteritis diagnosed using needle biopsy under the guidance of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US). The patient manifested appetite loss, weight loss, and epigastric pain. CT of the abdomen and pelvis revealed increased density of the mesentery adjacent to the small bowel along with enlarged lymph nodes. Hence, we suspected sclerosing mesenteritis but also considered malignancies, such as lymphoma. We then performed CT- and US-guided needle biopsy with coaxial technique. We inserted an introducer needle by verifying its location using CT and extracted multiple specimens using a finer needle that passed through the introducer without incident. The collected specimens were adequate and histological diagnosis revealed sclerosing mesenteritis. We treated the patient with corticosteroids, and her symptoms and radiographic findings improved. Thus, the coaxial technique was a useful and minimally invasive tool for the diagnosis of sclerosing mesenteritis.