Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Cases. Apr 26, 2026; 14(12): 119292
Published online Apr 26, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i12.119292
Published online Apr 26, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i12.119292
Retroperitoneal fibrosis mimicking benign disease - a paraneoplastic clue to small bowel adenocarcinoma: A case report
Kirti Arora, Manjeet Kumar Goyal, Laurie Matt-Amaral, Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital, Akron, OH 44307, United States
Sara Tipmongkol, Department of Internal Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA 17822, United States
Co-first authors: Kirti Arora and Sara Tipmongkol.
Author contributions: Arora K and Tipmongkol S contributed to manuscript writing and editing; Goyal M contributed to editing and supervision; Matt-Amaral L contributed to conceptualization and supervision; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Manjeet Kumar Goyal, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital, 1, Akron General Avenue, Akron, OH 44307, United States. manjeetgoyal@gmail.com
Received: January 26, 2026
Revised: February 15, 2026
Accepted: March 20, 2026
Published online: April 26, 2026
Processing time: 82 Days and 4.7 Hours
Revised: February 15, 2026
Accepted: March 20, 2026
Published online: April 26, 2026
Processing time: 82 Days and 4.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare fibroinflammatory disorder that typically involves the infrarenal aorta and ureters, leading to insidious symptoms such as abdominal or back pain, constitutional features, and obstructive uropathy. Laboratory findings are often nonspecific, with elevated inflammatory markers and occasional autoimmune serologies. Cross-sectional imaging with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is essential for diagnosis and for guiding biopsy to exclude malignancy. Glucocorticoids remain the cornerstone of therapy, with immunomodulatory agents reserved for refractory or relapsing disease. Long-term follow-up is critical due to high relapse rates despite treatment.