Primary solid tumors of the mesentery

The interest for the primary solid tumors of the mesentery (TSPM) is justified by the difficulties of preoperative diagnosis and surgical treatment of these unusual lesions. We analyzed 68 TSPM operated in the Department of General Surgery of Fundeni Hospital between 1960-1993. In the study were included only the lymphoma presented as mesenteric masses (n = 17); the enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes were excluded. The most common malignant tumor was the fibroma (n = 8) and lipoma (n = 10). In the resection of mesenteric tumors exposure of the superior mesenteric vessels is important. The relation between tumoral and superior mesenteric vessels is the necessary criterion of resectability: in 41 cases from 43 unresectable lesions the reason of unresectability was the invasion of the superior mesenteric vein and artery; in only two cases the reason was the presence of liver metastases. The resectability was not influenced by the multiplicity of the lesions: in all cases with multiple mesenteric tumors (6 patients) the resection was performed. The distant metastases of TSPM are rare; on the contrary, the local invasion is common.