What does mesenteric stranding mean?
Disproportionate fat stranding: a helpful CT sign in patients with acute abdominal pain. Radiographics. May-Jun 2004;24(3):703-15. doi: 10.1148/rg. 243035084.
What is stranding on abdominal CT scan?
Fat stranding is a sign that is seen on CT. It describes the change in attenuation of fat around an inflamed structure and is a very helpful signpost for intra-abdominal pathology.
Is thickening of the bowel wall serious?
Focal, irregular and asymmetrical thickening of the bowel wall suggests a malignancy. Perienteric fat stranding disproportionally more severe than the degree of wall thickening suggests an inflammatory condition.
What does Pericolonic fat stranding mean?
In conclusion, pericolic fat stranding identified on CT images of colon cancer is demonstrated more frequently with increasing circumferential proportion of the tumor and longitudinal length. The presence of pericolic fat stranding suggests tumor invasion of T3 or more, but cannot distinguish between T3 and T4.
What causes mesenteric stranding?
Acute conditions that cause fat stranding include peritonitis; inflammation, infection, or ischemia of the bowel; perforation of colon cancer; inflammation associated with pancreatitis or cholecystitis; trauma; and surgery.
What is stranding in the colon?
Fat stranding refers to an abnormal increased attenuation in fat, (in the mesentery, omentum, retroperitoneum, or subcutaneous fat). The underlying pathophysiologic process is increased edema and engorgement of lymphatics. Abdominal fat stranding can produce various appearances.
Can diverticulitis be seen on xray?
Plain radiographs usually do not show any findings in uncomplicated diverticulitis, but a left-sided pelvic mass, localized ileus, or partial bowel obstruction may occasionally be seen. Pneumoperitoneum, portal venous gas, and extraluminal air-fluid levels may be noted in patients with complicated diverticulitis.
When to use CT or ultrasound for mesenteric adenitis?
As mesenteric adenitis usually presents in the young, ultrasound is often the investigation of choice. CT is usually reserved for older patients, if needed at all.
How does mesenteric panniculitis look on a CT scan?
When the inflammation predominates (so-called mesenteric panniculitis), patients generally present with acute pain. On CT images, mesenteric panniculitis appears as a focal area of increased attenuation within the mesenteric fat surrounded by a pseudocapsule (, Fig 5 ), an appearance that has been described as “the misty mesentery” (, 13 ).
What does Misty mesentery mean in CT terms?
Misty mesentery is a term used to describe the CT appearance of mesenteric fat with increased attenuation. Just as with fat stranding elsewhere, a number of processes can lead to the appearance including infiltration by inflammatory cells, edema, lymphatic accumulation, hemorrhage, tumor infiltration, and fibrosis.
Are there any cases of mesenteric neoplasms at CT?
Case reports of a variety of mesenchymal tumors of the mesentery including lipomas, schwannomas, smooth muscle tumors (, Fig 4 ), and sarcomas are scattered through the literature (, 9 –, 12 ). Carcinoid tumor metastatic to the mesentery and sclerosing mesenteritis can mimic primary mesenteric neoplasm at CT.