Benign multicystic mesothelioma: a case report of three sisters

Our plain-English summary of Benign multicystic mesothelioma: a case report of three sisters, by E.M. Bernstein, A. Tate, D.A. Silasi, et al (Rare Tumors, 2009).

The study

• Authors: E.M. Bernstein, A. Tate, D.A. Silasi, T. Rutherford
• Journal: Rare Tumors
• Published: 2009;1(2):e46
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 7 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

In plain English

This article was a case report from Yale University describing three sisters with findings of benign multicystic mesothelioma (BMCM), a rare tumor of the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). The first sister, aged 53, had a pelvic mass. After surgery her final diagnosis was BMCM together with endometriosis and focal endosalpingiosis, and she had no recurrence one year later. The second sister was 35 when a multicystic pelvic mass was found and identified as BMCM. It recurred two years after surgery and was managed without further surgery. The third sister, aged 46, had benign mesothelial and serous cysts, but no further staining was done to confirm or rule out BMCM. The authors reported no obvious or grossly unusual familial diseases in the family history. The article did not report any asbestos exposure for the sisters. Its discussion, citing other publications, stated that BMCM has no association with asbestos exposure. The authors concluded that their report was one of few illustrating a possible genetic association with BMCM, and that these patients need lifelong close follow-up.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report (three sisters)
• Who was studied: Three sisters seen at Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut, USA): a 53-year-old (Case 1), a younger sister who was 35 at diagnosis (Case 2), and a third sister aged 46 (Case 3)
• Exposure: No asbestos exposure is reported for the sisters. The discussion, citing other publications, states that BMCM has no association with asbestos exposure. The article itself studied a possible familial or genetic association, not asbestos.
• Main results:
  • Case 1 (53-year-old sister): final diagnosis was benign multicystic mesothelioma, endometriosis, and focal endosalpingiosis
  • Case 1: no recurrence one year after surgery
  • Case 2 (sister diagnosed at age 35): BMCM recurred two years after surgery; it was managed conservatively without further surgery and the lesions remained stable
  • Case 3 (sister aged 46): final pathology showed benign mesothelial and serous cysts, hydrosalpinges, and Walthard cysts; BMCM was not confirmed
  • The sisters' family history showed no obvious or grossly unusual familial diseases or anomalies
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that BMCM requires a high level of suspicion and lifelong close follow-up, and that their case report is one of few illustrating a possible genetic association with BMCM
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The third sister's diagnosis of BMCM was never confirmed, because no further staining was done to confirm or exclude it

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Multicystic Mesothelioma (MCM).

Related studies

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• Asbestosis, pleural plaques and diffuse pleural thickening: three distinct benign responses to asbestos exposure — P.A. Gevenois, V. de Maertelaer, et al. (1998)
• Positive FDG-PET/CT of the pleura twenty years after talc pleurodesis: three cases of benign talcoma — T. Vandemoortele, S. Laroumagne, et al. (2014)
• Benign multicystic mesothelioma and peritoneal inclusion cysts: are they the same clinical and histopathological entities? A systematic review to find an evidence-based management — A.M.C. Rapisarda, A. Cianci, et al. (2018)
• Multicystic benign cystic mesothelioma presenting as a pelvic mass — M. Momeni, E. Pereira, et al. (2014)
• Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A Rare Condition in an Uncommon Gender — M.S. Khurram, H. Shaikh, et al. (2017)

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