Malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumor arising in the mesentery: A case report

Primary perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) of the mesentery are rare; therefore, the clinical and imaging features of the tumor have yet to be adequately investigated. The present study reports the case of a 48-year-old female patient histologically diagnosed with a PEComa arising in the mesentery of the small bowel. Abdominal plain computed tomography (CT) identified a large, partially ill-defined and heterogeneous mass with a size of 12.5×8.5-cm occupying the lower abdomen. Upon contrast-enhanced CT imaging, the tumor displayed nonhomogeneous contrast-enhancement with hypodense areas, and multiple tumor vessels were observed during arterial phase imaging. In conclusion, the present study proposed that PEComas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of lesions arising in the mesentery; however, differentiation based on imaging criteria alone can be difficult.