Differential Diagnosis for Mild Nonspecific Central Mesenteric Stranding with Scattered Subcentimeter Mesenteric Lymph Nodes

• Single Most Likely Diagnosis
  • Viral gastroenteritis: This condition is common and can cause mild, nonspecific changes in the mesentery, including stranding and enlargement of lymph nodes, due to the body's inflammatory response to the virus.
• Other Likely Diagnoses
  • Bacterial gastroenteritis: Similar to viral gastroenteritis, bacterial infections can lead to inflammation and mild changes in the mesenteric area.
  • Food poisoning: Certain types of food poisoning can cause an inflammatory response that might appear as mesenteric stranding and lymph node enlargement on imaging.
  • Early or mild inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis can initially present with nonspecific findings such as mesenteric stranding and lymphadenopathy.
• Do Not Miss Diagnoses
  • Lymphoma: Although less common, lymphoma can present with lymph node enlargement and should be considered to avoid missing a potentially life-threatening condition.
  • Metastatic disease: Spread of cancer to the mesenteric lymph nodes can cause similar findings and is crucial not to overlook.
  • Sarcoidosis: This autoimmune disease can affect the lymph nodes and cause inflammation in various parts of the body, including the mesentery.
• Rare Diagnoses
  • Whipple's disease: A rare, systemic bacterial infection that can cause malabsorption and may lead to mesenteric lymphadenopathy and stranding.
  • Mesenteric panniculitis: Also known as sclerosing mesenteritis, this is a rare condition characterized by inflammation of the mesenteric fat, which can cause stranding and lymph node enlargement.
  • Carcinoid tumor: A rare type of tumor that can arise in the small intestine and cause desmoplastic reaction leading to mesenteric stranding and lymph node involvement.