Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the small-bowel mesentery: A case report of nonspecific clinical presentation and a review of the literature

•Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors most frequently arises from the lung.•Previously described in the literature as inflammatory pseudotumor, the current term for the condition is IMT.•There are a very small number of IMT in the small intestine mesentery cases reported in the literature.•The differential diagnosis of IMT includes reactive/reparative lesions and mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.•The principal therapy in patients with IMT is surgical resection.

INTRODUCTIONInflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare neoplasm of various anatomical sites, which is histopathologically characterized by spindle-shaped cells with myofibroblastic proliferation and inflammatory infiltration.PRESENTATION OF CASEIn this case report, a 37-year-old man presented with nonspecific systemic symptoms, including abdominal pain and weakness, which was diagnosed by multislice computed tomography and ultrasonography. An 8 cm × 5 cm × 5 cm nodular gray-white firm noninfiltrative mass, which was well localized in the mesentery tissues of small bowel, was observed and the patient underwent surgical resection.DISCUSSIONA review of the literature on IMT of the small-bowel mesentery yielded a small number of previously described cases. This tumor most frequently involves the lungs and arises most commonly in extrapulmonary locations such as the mesentery and omentum. The etiopathogenesis and the clinical course of the disease are unclear. The histological and clinical differential diagnosis of IMT also includes reactive processes and mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Follow-up after surgical removal documented local recurrence and metastasis.CONCLUSIONThe preferred primary treatment is complete surgical excision, and patients require close clinicoradiological follow-up. In general, cases treated with complete surgical resection have a good prognosis.