The usefulness of MDCT in Crohn’s disease. 12 Nagamata H, Inadama E, Arihiro S, Matsuoka M, Torii A, Fukuda K.Computed tomography in the evaluation of Crohn disease. 11 Goldberg HI, Gore RM, Margulis AR, Moss AA, Baker EL.Sensitivity and specificity of the individual CT signs of appendicitis: experience with 200 helical appendiceal CT examinations. High-attenuation lymphadenopathy in AIDS patients: significance of findings at CT. 8 Herts BR, Megibow AJ, Birnbaum BA, Kanzer GK, Noz ME.Kaposi sarcoma and lymphadenopathy syndrome: limitations of abdominal CT in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 7 Moon KL Jr, Federle MP, Abrams DI, Volberding P, Lewis BJ.Mesenteric adenopathy in patients with prostate cancer: frequency and etiology. 6 Coakley FV, Lin RY, Schwartz LH, Panicek DM.Diverticulitis versus colon cancer: differentiation with helical CT findings. 5 Chintapalli KN, Chopra S, Ghiatas AA, Esola CC, Fields SF, Dodd GD 3rd.Computed tomography in recurrent or metastatic colon cancer: relation to rising serum carcinoembryonic antigen. 4 Shirkhoda A, Staab EV, Bunce LA, Herbst CA, McCartney WH.Occult carcinoma of the breast masquerading as primary adenocarcinoma of the small intestine: a case report. 3 Hansen RM, Lewis JD, Janjan NA, Komorowski RA.Computed tomography of lymphomatous involvement of mesenteric nodes. Mesenteric lymph nodes: detection and significance on MDCT.

Besides neoplastic, inflammatory, and infectious processes, many other disease processes may occasionally result in mesenteric lymphadenopathy. The distribution of the lymph nodes may indicate the exact nature of the underlying disease process, and the correct treatment may then be instituted. In addition, mesenteric lymphadenopathy may be the only indicator of an underlying inflammatory or infectious process causing abdominal pain.

It is important to recognize mesenteric lymphadenopathy in patients with a history of a primary carcinoma because the lymphadenopathy affects the staging of the disease, which in turn will affect further management. Many of these causes may also result in lymphadenopathy elsewhere in the body. The most common causes of mesenteric lymphadenopathy are neoplastic, inflammatory, and infectious processes. Although the detected lymph nodes may be normal, there is a large number of disease processes that may lead to mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Because of the increasing volume of cross-sectional imaging examinations being performed, lymph nodes in the mesentery are being detected with increasing frequency. For the first time, normal mesenteric nodes may be reliably identified noninvasively. With the advent of multidetector computed tomography, routine evaluation of mesenteric lymph nodes is now possible.

Shotty lymph nodes