Purpose The aims of the present study were to examine the density of lymphatic vessels in
the mesentery and to assess the predictive value of the mesenteric lymphatic vessel density
for postoperative clinical recurrence. Methods Ileocolonic resection specimens were
obtained from 53 patients with Crohn's disease and 10 non-inflammatory bowel disease
control subjects. Mesentery adipose tissues adjacent to the bowel wall were used for the
histological quantification of lymphatic vessels using immunohistochemistry with the D2-40 …

We read with interest the article by Li et al. in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery that
reports an association between increased mesenteric lymphatic vessel density in Crohn's
resection specimens and postoperative disease recurrence. 1 One year after the index
resection, 11 of 53 patients had clinical recurrence of disease. D2-40 immunohistochemical
staining of mesenteric adipose tissue revealed that these patients had increased mesenteric
lymphatic vessel density of the proximal mesenteric margin at the time of resection …