Crohn Disease (Fat Wrapping / Creeping Fat)

A 32-year-old man with a 10-year history of Crohn disease presents with recurrent abdominal pain and obstruction. At exploratory laparotomy, the surgeon identifies a diseased bowel segment with a rigid, hosepipe-like appearance and thickened, shortened mesentery. The structure marked **A** in the diagram—the glistening, pale-yellow adipose tissue extending circumferentially from the mesenteric border around the antimesenteric aspect of the inflamed loop—is noted. Which of the following best describes the pathological significance of this finding?