Differential Diagnosis for Radiologic Finding of Abdominal Fat Thickening
- Single most likely diagnosis
- Lipomatosis: This condition is characterized by the excessive growth of fat cells in the abdominal cavity, which can lead to thickening of the abdominal fat. It is a relatively common and benign condition.
- Other Likely diagnoses
- Omental infarction: This is a condition where the omentum, a layer of fatty tissue in the abdominal cavity, becomes inflamed and necrotic. It can cause abdominal pain and thickening of the abdominal fat on imaging studies.
- Mesenteric panniculitis: This is a rare inflammatory condition that affects the fatty tissue in the abdominal cavity, leading to thickening and inflammation.
- Do Not Miss diagnoses
- Lymphoma: Although less common, lymphoma can cause abdominal fat thickening due to infiltration of malignant cells into the fatty tissue. Missing this diagnosis could have severe consequences.
- Metastatic disease: Certain types of cancer, such as ovarian or gastrointestinal cancer, can metastasize to the abdominal fat, causing thickening. It is crucial to consider this possibility to ensure timely and appropriate treatment.
- Rare diagnoses
- Erdheim-Chester disease: This is a rare form of histiocytosis that can cause thickening of the abdominal fat due to infiltration of histiocytes.
- Abdominal wall desmoid tumor: This is a rare type of tumor that can occur in the abdominal wall and cause thickening of the surrounding fat.