Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma: a case report

Our plain-English summary of Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma: a case report, by X. Pitta, E. Andreadis, A. Ekonomou, et al (Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2010).

The study

• Authors: X. Pitta, E. Andreadis, A. Ekonomou, A. Papachristodoulou, C. Tziouvaras, L. Papapaulou, N. Sapidis, T. Chrisidis
• Journal: Journal of Medical Case Reports
• Published: 2010;4:385
• Cited by: 18 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Introduction: We report the case of a patient with a benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma and describe its appearance on computed tomography scans and ultrasonography, in correlation with gross clinical and pathological findings.

Case Presentation: A 72-year-old Caucasian woman presented to our emergency department with acute abdomen signs and symptoms. A clinical examination revealed a painful palpable mass in her left abdomen. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography demonstrated the presence of a large cystic mass in her left upper abdomen, adjacent to her left hemidiaphragm. The lower border of the mass extended to the upper margin of her pelvis. A complete resection of the lesion was performed. Pathological analysis showed a benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma.

Conclusions: Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare lesion with a non-specific appearance on imaging. Its diagnosis always requires pathological analysis.

In plain English

This article was a case report of one patient, a 72-year-old Caucasian woman admitted to a surgical department with two days of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Examination found signs of acute abdomen and a painful mass in her left abdomen. Ultrasonography showed a complex cystic mass with internal septa. Computed tomography showed a large 18.7 by 13.2 by 22 cm mass in the upper left abdomen pressing on nearby organs. Surgeons removed the whole mass and the spleen, to which it was stuck. Staining positive for calretinin and cytokeratins confirmed a mesothelial origin, and the final diagnosis was benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma. Six months after surgery she had no recurrence and no symptoms. The article did not report whether this patient had any asbestos exposure. In the discussion, citing earlier published work, the authors stated that this tumor type is not related to prior asbestos exposure. The authors concluded that the lesion is very rare, looks non-specific on imaging, always requires tissue examination for diagnosis, and needs systematic follow-up because of a high recurrence rate.

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 (one patient)
• Who was studied: One 72-year-old Caucasian woman with diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension, admitted to the authors' surgical department; the authors are based in Greece (Thessaloniki and Edessa). No dates of admission are given.
• Exposure: The article does not report whether the patient had any asbestos exposure. In the discussion, citing other literature, the authors state that multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma is not related to prior asbestos exposure. This is a general statement, not a finding about this patient.
• Main results:
  • Ultrasonography of the patient showed a complex cystic mass with internal septa, without increased vascularity. The organ it came from could not be identified.
  • Computed tomography of the patient showed a large 18.7 by 13.2 by 22 cm mass inside the peritoneum in the upper left abdomen. The mass caused pressure on adjacent organs, showed no internal septa and did not enhance with contrast.
  • At surgery the multicystic mass occupied the patient's entire left abdomen and was adherent to the spleen. Complete resection and splenectomy were performed.
  • Immunohistochemical stains were positive for calretinin and cytokeratins, confirming a mesothelial origin. The final diagnosis was benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma.
  • Six months after the operation the patient had no recurrence and was free of symptoms.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma is a very rare benign cystic tumor. They found its imaging appearance non-specific and said it always requires histological evaluation. They noted a high recurrence rate after resection, with malignant transformation very rarely reported, and said systematic follow-up is required.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Peritoneal Mesothelioma.

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