Abstract: Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics of mesenteric panniculitis (MP) in order to further enhance the understanding of this disease. Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on hospitalized patients with a definite diagnosis of mesenteric panniculitis at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2015 to January 2026. The clinical characteristics and treatment status of the patients were analyzed. Results A total of 28 patients were included. There were 13 males (46.4%) and 15 females (53.6%), with a mean age of (58.14±10.87) years. Abdominal pain was the most common chief complaint (96.4%), followed by abdominal distension(14.3%), fever (10.7%), nausea and vomiting (3.6%), and diarrhea (3.6%). Eighteen patients (64.3%)received corticosteroid therapy, among whom 7 received corticosteroids combined with immunosuppressive therapy,4 received corticosteroids combined with biologic agents, and 1 received corticosteroids combined with tamoxifen.Four patients underwent surgery; two of them had mesenteric lesion resection but experienced recurrence three months postoperatively. During follow-up, 18 patients remained stable, one patient treated with corticosteroid immunotherapy showed no response, one relapsed after drug discontinuation, and two were lost to follow-up. Conclusions MP is a chronic inflammatory disease. Patients typically present with abdominal pain as the predominant symptom, and the prognosis is generally favorable after accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This study aims to provide a basis for improving clinicians′ understanding of mesenteric panniculitis, in order to avoid misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis.

Key words: mesenteric panniculitis, abdominal pain, computed tomography, corticosteroid