Association between mesenteric panniculitis and urolithiasis

Mesenteric panniculitis is a rare condition and refers to benign and nonspecific inflammation of mesenteric fat.

This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis of a greater prevalence of mesenteric panniculitis in patients with urolithiasis.

In this cross-sectional study, abdominopelvic CT scans of 500 patients were reviewed for the presence of urolithiasis and mesenteric panniculitis. The inclusion criteria were patients who were referred with acute abdominal pain and were suspected of having urolithiasis or other urinary conditions and who had undergone abdominopelvic CT scan. Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured, and pain intensity was recorded by patient evaluation.

Mesenteric panniculitis was found in 10 patients, all of whom (100%) had urinary stones (ureter or kidney or both), and none of them had previous surgeries or known malignancies. The prevalence of panniculitis was significantly greater in the group with urolithiasis. In the urolithiasis group, subcutaneous fat thickness was greater in patients with panniculitis, although the difference was not statistically significant. In the subgroup analysis, pain intensity was not significantly greater in patients with panniculitis.

Mesenteric panniculitis is more prevalent among patients with urolithiasis, but it seems that it does not change the intensity of the pain.