The association between mesenteric panniculitis and Sjögren's syndrome, although rare, is starting to be recognized. Usually, mesenteric panniculitis is symptomatic, presenting with either general or gastrointestinal symptoms. Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that typically affects secretory glands, but may have serious systemic involvement. We report the case of a 77-year-old patient in whom accidental discovery of asymptomatic mesenteric panniculitis on computed tomography led to the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome with several systemic manifestations.
Learning points: Mesenteric panniculitis is a rare condition, sometimes associated with autoimmune diseases, which can make the differential diagnosis with more frequent systemic diseases difficult. There is no specific treatment for mesenteric panniculitis, but it is agreed that only symptomatic patients should be treated.Although Sjögren's syndrome typically presents with xerostomia and xerophthalmia (dry eyes and mouth syndrome, DEMS), it should always be kept in mind that systemic manifestations can occur, especially in more severe cases.
Keywords: Sjögren’s syndrome; autoimmune diseases; mesenteric panniculitis.