What is mesenteric lymphadenitis?

Mesenteric lymphadenitis is an inflammation of lymph nodes. These lymph nodes, which are clusters of immune system cells, are located in the mesentery, the membrane in between the abdominal wall and the intestine. The inflammation normally arises as the result of an infection, which may have spread to the nodes from a different infection somewhere else in the body. In most cases, mesenteric lymphadenitis is not a serious infection and should not persist for longer than a couple weeks.