Evaluation & Treatment for Mesenteric Adenitis
Mesenteric adenitis is the shortened form of mesenteric lymphadenitis, a mild medical condition that causes temporary abdominal discomfort. It afflicts children primarily and sometimes produces no symptoms besides inflamed lymph nodes.
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Evaluation
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Doctors diagnose mesenteric adenitis by taking a medical history; asking how and when symptoms occurred; studying blood test results for signs of infection; and reviewing images of the patient's abdomen (for example, computerized tomography scans) to rule out similar conditions, such as appendicitis. No single test can detect mesenteric adenitis.
Treatment
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Mesenteric adenitis is rarely serious and usually disappears without intervention in several days or weeks. Standard treatments include prescription antibiotics and non-prescription fever and pain relievers.
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Home Remedies
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Patients can help treat mesenteric adenitis symptoms at home by getting sufficient rest, placing a moist and warm washcloth on the abdomen and drinking a lot of fluids to prevent dehydration.
Considerations
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According to Patient UK, invasive procedures (for example, a laparoscopy) are sometimes required to detect mesenteric adenitis if tests fail to rule out other potential conditions, such as appendicitis.
Warning
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Although mesenteric adenitis often requires minimal or no treatment, potentially fatal sepsis is a risk if bacteria caused the condition and it reaches the bloodstream due to lack of treatment.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit stomach image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
