Defining the mesentery as a new organ and what this means for understanding its roles in digestive disorders

Categorisation of structures into tissues, organs and systems is arbitrary but has considerable utility as it provides a structural hierarchy within which one can more easily investigate and better understand human biology and disease. Until recently, this process was greatly hampered by an erroneous anatomical appraisal of the mesentery. Advances in our understanding of the mesentery now present scientific and clinical communities with new opportunities. Based on these, it is suggested that the mesentery be re-designated as an organ.1 Herein we challenge this concept and explore whether there are clinical benefits to redesignation.