HighlightsMesenteric cystic masses account for a very small fraction of abdominal pain cases.Symptoms arise likely as a result of mass effect, even when these lesions are small.On detection of these lesions by imaging, it is important to exclude neuroendocrine tumors.Complete surgical excision is curative of symptoms caused by local mass effect.Histopathological examination of specimens is the definitive means to differentiate between such lesions, that appear similarly on imaging.