الفهرس 
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Abstract
Routine evaluation of mesenteric lymph nodes is now possible. For the first time, normal mesenteric nodes may be reliably identified noninvasively. Because of the increasing volume of cross-sectional imaging examinations being performed, lymph nodes in the mesentery are being detected with increasing frequency. This is often an unsuspected finding. Although the detected lymph nodes may be normal, there are a large number of disease processes that may lead to mesenteric lymphadenopathy.
Mesenteric lymphadenopathy is not a manifestation of a single disease so in drawing up a differential diagnosis for this condition the radiologist must firstly have the knowledge about the different pathologies that may cause enlargement of mesenteric lymph nodes.
Many advanced imaging modalities are used to characterize mesenteric lymphadenopathy and differentiate between normal and pathological mesenteric lymph nodes as well as differentiating between benign and metastatic lymphadenopathy. MDCT is the latest breakthrough in CT technology. It has transformed CT from a trans axial cross sectional technique into a truly three-dimensional imaging modality. MDCT has been more rapidly accepted in the radiological community than single slice spiral CT for the enhanced speed of scan acquisition and the high spatial resolution because of the thin collimation.
This facilitate precise timing of multiphasic imaging and multiplanner reformations (MPR) using several reformation techniques, such as maximum intensity projection (MIP), volume rendering, and curved planer reconstructions (CPR).
The aim of this study was to assess the role of Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) in assessment of mesenteric lymphadenopathy.
The study was conducted on 100 patients complaining from abdominal pain and mass whom presented to Radiology departments in Minia University Hospital and Minia Oncology Center. There were fifty eight males and forty two females. Their ages ranged from twenty to seventy three years with a mean value of 52 years.
MDCT examination of the abdomen and pelvis was performed for all the 100 patients included in this study prior to any biopsy procedure. The MDCT examination included unenhanced and enhanced studied. The axial source images with a 1.25mm slice thickness were transferred to an Advantage work station (AW) for image reconstructions. The axial source images as well as the MPR in coronal and sagittal planes were interpreted for the following items: size, site, shape, margin, enhancement, calcification, central necrosis, extra nodal spread, number, distribution, and association with other groups of lymph node enlargement.
In our study the mesenteric lymph nodes are classified into normal and pathological groups according to the size criterion which is the important morphological feature with cutoff value 4.6mm. According to this cutoff value the mean size of normal mesenteric lymph nodes was 2.96mm while the mean size of pathological mesenteric lymph nodes was 19 mm.
According to MDCT criteria for normal group of mesenteric lymph nodes most of them were oval in shape (88.2%), multiple (85.3%) and are distributed in the root of the mesentery (70.6%).
The MDCT criteria of pathological mesenteric lymph node group (n=32) were interpreted for nodal morphology, number, distribution, enhancement, calcification, central necrosis, extra nodal spread and lastly associated other groups of abdominal lymph nodes. According to these MDCT criteria we determined that the most of our patients have well defined (62.5%) lobulated (43.75%) and amalgamated (37.5%) also multiple (68.7%) and are distributed in the root of the mesentery (87.5%).