Mesenteric fibrosis

Project summary

The study focuses on the development, diagnosis and treatment of mesenteric fibrosis, a serious complication that often occurs in patients with a neuroendocrine tumor of the small intestine.

Neuroendocrine tumors arise from neuroendocrine cells that occur in different organs. They are cells that ensure the production of hormones, which in turn regulate all kinds of functions in the body. A proliferation of neuroendocrine cells can lead to a neuroendocrine tumor.

Most neuroendocrine tumors originate in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and lungs. A neuroendocrine tumor is a rare cancer. Because GPs encounter the condition only once or a few times in their careers, the disease is often discovered late. Moreover, symptoms are easily confused with other, more common conditions.

euroendocrine tumors of the small intestine. This is the formation of scar tissue in the peritoneum, a common complication that can lead to abdominal pain, reduced blood supply to the gut (“ischaemia”) and bowel obstruction (“ileus”). To date there are no medicines for this.