Retroperitoneal approach for recurrent benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma

Our plain-English summary of Retroperitoneal approach for recurrent benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma, by G.D. Bakhshi, K.R. Wankhede, M.B. Tayade, et al (Clinics and Practice, 2013).

The study

• Authors: G.D. Bakhshi, K.R. Wankhede, M.B. Tayade, A.H. Bhandarwar, S.T. Gore, D.D. Choure
• Journal: Clinics and Practice
• Published: 2013;3(1):e3
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 6 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) is an uncommon lesion. It presents as a lump in abdomen or a finding seen on imaging modalities. Surgery is the primary modality of treatment. However, it has a high recurrence rate; this results in adhesions and subsequent surgeries difficult. We present a case of recurrent BMPM in a female operated twice earlier in a rural centre. Imaging modalities showed majority of the lesion in paracolic and retroperitoneal region. Hence, retroperitoneal approach for surgery was taken. This avoided previous surgical adhesions. A brief case report on this novel approach and review of literature is presented.

In plain English

This article was a case report, with a brief literature review, from surgeons at Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, India. It described one 32-year-old woman with a recurrent lump in the right lumbar region. She had been operated on twice before at a rural hospital, 10 and 3 years earlier, and her discharge card gave the diagnosis as lymphangioma. The article did not mention asbestos or any other exposure. Ultrasound and CT scans showed a large multicystic mass, about 25 cm long, beside the ascending colon, with similar lesions in the pouch of Douglas and the mesentery. Because most of the mass lay behind the colon, the surgeons operated through an incision below the 12th rib (a retroperitoneal approach) and removed the lesion completely. Tissue tests were positive for calretinin and negative for CD31. These confirmed a multilocular peritoneal inclusion cyst, the name the article uses alongside benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma. Recovery was uneventful. At 1 year the patient was free of disease and symptoms. The authors concluded this approach may be useful in recurrent cases where most of the mass lies behind the colon.

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 of a single patient, with a brief review of the literature
• Who was studied: One 32-year-old woman treated at Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India. She had been operated on twice before for similar lumps at a rural hospital, 10 and 3 years earlier.
• Exposure: Not reported. The article does not mention asbestos or any other exposure. It is about the surgical approach to a recurrent benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma.
• Main results:
  • The CT scan showed a well-defined, multiloculated cystic lesion of about 25 by 10 by 6.5 cm in the right paracolic gutter, beside the ascending colon. Similar-looking lesions were seen in the pouch of Douglas and the mesentery. Before surgery the findings were thought to suggest recurrent lymphangioma.
  • Surgery used a retroperitoneal approach because most of the mass lay behind the colon.
  • The lesion was completely removed. The specimen was a multicystic mass 22 cm wide at its greatest dimension. Its individual cysts measured 3 to 9 cm across and contained serous fluid.
  • Immunohistochemistry showed strong positivity for calretinin and negativity for CD31. This confirmed the diagnosis of multilocular peritoneal inclusion cyst (benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma).
  • The diagnosis was confirmed only after the specimen was examined, so intraoperative heated peritoneal chemotherapy with cisplatin was not given.
  • Postoperative recovery was uneventful. At 1-year follow-up the patient was disease-free and symptom-free.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the retroperitoneal approach may be useful in recurrent BMPM where most of the mass is behind the colon. They reported that in this case it allowed complete excision with minimal handling of the bowel.

Topics

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

Related studies

• Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma presenting as a retroperitoneal pelvic mass in a young woman: a case report — E.A. Amaireh, O. Al-Natour, et al. (2026)
• Cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC for multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma: therapeutic approach in a rare benign neoplasm — G. Aleksandrić, N. Trifunović, et al. (2026)
• Multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma mimicking recurrent pseudomyxoma peritonei — A. Scarton, M. Tonello, et al. (2026)
• 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)
• Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A Rare Condition in an Uncommon Gender — M.S. Khurram, H. Shaikh, et al. (2017)
• Imaging appearance of benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma: a case report and review of the literature — V. Mehta, V. Chowdhary, et al. (2017)

Browse return to medical research.