Mycobacterium genavense specific mesenteritic syndrome in HIV-infected patients – an new entity of retractile mesenteritis?

Background: Abdominal mesenteritis is an neglected and poorly understood gastroenterological disease. Here we report on two identical cases of Mycobacterium genavense associated retractile mesenteritis in HIV-positive patients. Literature search retrieved only few small retrospective studies, which characterize the clinical course of this rare infection. On the basis of our clinical observation and literature data, we propose a pathogen specific syndrome of retractile mesenteritis in HIV-positive patients linked to Mycobacterium genavense infection with duodenal wall thickening, central mesenterial mass and vasc…