# A Rare Coexistence of Mesenteric Lymphangioma and Ulcerative Colitis, Obscuring the Right Cause of Symptoms

## TL;DR

This paper reports a rare case where a patient had both mesenteric lymphangioma and ulcerative colitis, which complicated the diagnosis and treatment process.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in documenting the rare coexistence of two distinct conditions that can obscure each other's symptoms and diagnostic findings.

## Key findings

- Mesenteric lymphangioma and ulcerative colitis can coexist, leading to diagnostic challenges.
- Uncommon radiological findings of lymphangioma may mask ulcerative colitis if not carefully evaluated.
- Further investigations are crucial when clinical and radiological findings are inconsistent.

## Abstract

Lymphangiomas are rare, cystic tumors representing congenital malformation of the lymphatic vessels. Mesenteric lymphangioma (ML) is a rare presentation of lymphangiomas. Misdiagnosis of ML can occur because of its rarity and resemblance to other entities. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is the most common type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with an increasing incidence in pediatric populations. Here, we present a rare case of the coexistence of ML and UC. The uncommon radiological findings of ML can lead to overlooking UC; however, slight dissociation between clinical symptoms and radiological findings and the consequential decision to further investigations enabled us to reach an accurate diagnosis and avoid delaying the treatment of UC.