Inflammatory pseudotumor of the mesentery and small intestine

Three cases of abdominal inflammatory pseudotumor or inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the small intestinal mesentery are presented with additional examples from the literature. An abdominal mass was detected in three preadolescent children who presented with fever, growth failure, hypochromic anemia, thrombocytosis and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. The radiographic findings confirmed the presence of a mass. Following surgical resection, the systemic manifestations dramatically resolved. The solid mesenteric mass was composed of spindle cells with the features of myofibroblasts and mature plasma cells and small lymphocytes. Clinical follow-up confirmed the benign nature of this lesion with no signs of recurrence in any patient from 3 to 6 years after the initial surgery.