Idiopathic sclerosing mesenteritis
Encyclopedia
Idiopathic sclerosing mesenteritis (ISM) is a disease of the small intestine
, characterized by chronic inflammation
and eventual fibrosis
of the mesentery
.
The disease is rare, and as of July 2010, had been diagnosed only 18 times since 1925, and then almost exclusively in adults.
Small intestine
The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...
, characterized by chronic inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
and eventual fibrosis
Fibrosis
Fibrosis is the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue in an organ or tissue in a reparative or reactive process. This is as opposed to formation of fibrous tissue as a normal constituent of an organ or tissue...
of the mesentery
Mesentery
In anatomy, the mesentery is the double layer of peritoneum that suspends the jejunum and ileum from the posterior wall of the abdomen. Its meaning, however, is frequently extended to include double layers of peritoneum connecting various components of the abdominal cavity.-Mesentery :The...
.
The disease is rare, and as of July 2010, had been diagnosed only 18 times since 1925, and then almost exclusively in adults.