Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma Presents as a Tumor in an Elderly Man: An Uncommon Diagnosis

Our plain-English summary of Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma Presents as a Tumor in an Elderly Man: An Uncommon Diagnosis, by A. Askar, E. Erginoz, A. Hanım Yavuz, et al (Qatar Medical Journal, 2022).

The study

• Authors: A. Askar, E. Erginoz, A. Hanım Yavuz, V. Durgun
• Journal: Qatar Medical Journal
• Published: 2022;2022(1):5
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: Mesotheliomas are benign masses that can arise from any body parts that contain mesothelium, such as the abdominal, pelvic, pleural, and pericardial cavities. Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma is a cystic tumor that arises from peritoneal mesothelial cells. It is a rare pathological entity, as only fewer than 200 cases have been reported. Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma mainly occurs in women, and it is extremely rare in men. Its diagnosis and management are often challenging.

Case Presentation: This report demonstrates a case of a 61-year-old man who presented to the outpatient clinic with persistent abdominal discomfort that progressed over the years. He had visited different clinics and was referred to a gastroenterologist because of a misdiagnosis. After an extensive clinical evaluation, we failed to provide a definitive diagnosis; thus, diagnostic laparotomy for possible intra-abdominal malignancy was performed. After successful surgical resection of the lesions, the pathology was found compatible with benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma.

Conclusion: Given its high recurrence rates and potential malignant transformation, meticulous and detailed surgical excision of the cystic lesions is of utmost importance to avoid repeated surgeries. Long-term follow-up is recommended.

© 2022 Askar, Erginoz, Yavuz, Durgun, licensee HBKU Press.

In plain English

This was a case report from surgeons at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa, Turkey, about one 61-year-old man with benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare cystic tumor of the abdominal lining that the authors call extremely rare in men. The article does not mention asbestos or the man's work history. The man had long-standing abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating and loss of appetite, and medicines from several clinics had not helped. He had no history of smoking, alcohol use or previous abdominal surgery. A CT scan showed multiple fluid collections in the abdomen, the largest next to the liver, with no solid parts. The surgeons operated to look for a possible cancer. They removed all the cysts and also took out the appendix, which was normal. He went home on the fifth day after surgery. Under the microscope the cysts were judged benign, and the diagnosis was benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma. No immunohistochemical stains were used. The authors concluded that, because these tumors often recur and can rarely turn malignant, their treatment by highly experienced medical centers matters.

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 61-year-old man with no history of chronic disease, treated by the authors at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa, Turkey. No dates are given.
• Exposure: Asbestos is not mentioned, and the article gives no occupational or environmental exposure history. It states the patient had no history of smoking, alcohol consumption, or previous abdominal surgery.
• Main results:
  • The patient had long-standing abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and loss of appetite.
  • Abdominal CT found multiple loculated fluid collections, the largest next to the liver, with no solid components or pathological contrast enhancement.
  • At diagnostic laparotomy, all cystic lesions were removed. An appendectomy was also done for possible appendiceal malignancy, and the appendix was normal apart from lymphoid follicular hyperplasia.
  • The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5.
  • Immunohistochemical stains or markers were not used. The pathological diagnosis, based on findings compatible with benign cystic lesions, was benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that BMPMs are rare benign tumors that are hard to diagnose and manage. Given their high recurrence rates and risk of malignant transformation, the authors think treatment by highly experienced medical centers is important. They also said elderly patients with persistent abdominal discomfort should be evaluated with imaging.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma, Mesothelium, Pericardial, Mesothelial Cells, Misdiagnosis, Laparotomy, Surgical Resection.

Related studies

• Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A Rare Condition in an Uncommon Gender — M.S. Khurram, H. Shaikh, et al. (2017)
• Intra-Operative Diagnosis of Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A Case Report of Rare Entity and Lessons Learned — C.C. Wu, A. Bassi, et al. (2024)
• Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma mimicking recurrence of an ovarian borderline tumor: a case report — S. Takemoto, R. Kawano, et al. (2012)
• Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma in a Male Patient with Previous Wilms' Tumor: A Case Report and Review of the Literature — G.L. Canu, F. Medas, et al. (2018)
• Laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment of pelvic benign multicystic mesothelioma associated with high CA19.9 serum concentration — V. Pinto, A.C. Rossi, et al. (2010)
• 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)

Browse return to medical research.