Pediatric case of the day. Mesenteric plexiform neurofibroma in neurofibromatosis type 1 (von Recklinghausen disease).

Abstract

Radiograph of the abdomen obtained with the patient prone during a small bowel followthrough study demonstrates marked separation of bowel loops. The bowel wall is diffusely thickened, and mass effect is seen on the barium-filled loops of bowel. The cecum (arrowheads) is displaced medial to adjacent loops of small bowel. Calcifications are not present.

Cavernous mesenteric lymphangioma (2006: 4b)

“…Typical CT findings of plexiform neurofibromatosis are homogeneously low-attenuated masses extending from the mesenteric root to the involved bowel wall. Similarly to mesenteric lymphangioma, signal intensity is increased on T2-weighted MR images [8]. However, Fukuya et al reported that CT of mesenteric neurofibromatosis shows characteristic clusters of small, mass-like areas of softtissue attenuation that are caused by the trapping of normal fat among the entangled peripheral nerve network [9] and differ from images of mesenteric lymphangioma.…”