Thoracic computed tomography findings in malignant mesothelioma

Our plain-English summary of Thoracic computed tomography findings in malignant mesothelioma, by O. Tamer Dogan, I. Salk, F. Tas, et al (Iranian Journal of Radiology, 2012).

The study

• Authors: O. Tamer Dogan, I. Salk, F. Tas, K. Epozturk, C. Gumus, I. Akkurt, S. Levent Ozsahin
• Journal: Iranian Journal of Radiology
• Published: 2012;9(4):209-11
• Cited by: 12 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an uncommon neoplasm. MPM occurs more frequently in patients born or living in certain villages of Turkey.

Objectives: We aimed to review radiological findings of MPM.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed the CT findings in 219 biopsy-proven MPM patients admitted to our clinic between 1993 and 2008.

Results: The most common CT findings included pleural thickening (n=197, 90%) classified as diffuse (n=138, 63%), nodular (n=49, 22%) and mass-type (n=16, 7%). Pleural effusion was found in 173 patients (79%), involvement of the interlobar fissures in 159 (73%), mediastinal pleural involvement in 170 (78%), volume contraction in 142 (65%), mediastinal shift in 102 (47%) and mediastinal lymphadenopathy in 54 (25%).

Conclusion: MPM may present with diverse radiological features. Pleural thickening and pleural effusion were the most frequent radiological findings. Thoracic CT scans might be assessed more cautiously in patients with environmental exposure to asbestos.

In plain English

This brief report from Sivas, Turkey, looked back at chest CT scans of 219 patients (129 men and 90 women) with biopsy-proven malignant pleural mesothelioma seen at the authors' clinic between 1993 and 2008. All patients had a history of environmental asbestos exposure, and nearly half came from Yildizeli, a town in Sivas, and the villages around it. The article does not say which asbestos fiber type these patients were exposed to. On CT, pleural effusion was found in 173 patients (79%), mediastinal pleural involvement in 170 (78%), involvement of the interlobar fissures in 159 (73%), volume loss of one side of the chest in 142 (65%), mediastinal shift in 102 (47%) and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes in 54 (25%). Diffuse pleural thickening was seen in 138 (63%). The article gives conflicting counts for the other types of thickening. On ordinary chest X-rays, pleural effusion was seen in 146 patients (66.7%) and pleural thickening in 105 (47.9%). The authors concluded that mesothelioma may present with diverse features and that CT scans might be assessed more cautiously in people with environmental asbestos exposure.

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: Retrospective review of CT scans (brief report, case series without a comparison group)
• Who was studied: 219 patients with biopsy-proven malignant pleural mesothelioma (129 men, 90 women; mean age 58.3 years, range 18 to 85) seen at a clinic of Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey, between 1993 and 2008. Nearly half came from Yildizeli and surrounding villages.
• Exposure: All patients had environmental asbestos exposure. The article gives no fiber type or dose for these patients.
• Main results:
  • Among all 219 patients, pleural thickening was seen on CT in 197 (90%), and diffuse pleural thickening in 138 (63%).
  • Pleural effusion was seen on CT in 173 of the 219 patients (79%).
  • Involvement of the interlobar fissures was seen on CT in 159 patients (73%).
  • On CT, mediastinal pleural involvement was seen in 170 patients (78%), volume contraction in 142 (65%), mediastinal shift in 102 (47%) and mediastinal lymphadenopathy in 54 (25%).
  • On chest X-ray, pleural effusion was seen in 146 of the 219 patients (66.7%).
  • On chest X-ray, pleural thickening was seen in 105 of the 219 patients (47.9%).
  • 82 of the 219 patients (37.4%) were current smokers.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that MPM may present with diverse radiological features, that pleural thickening and pleural effusion were the most frequent findings, and that thoracic CT scans might be assessed more cautiously in patients with environmental exposure to asbestos.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Pleural Mesothelioma, Neoplasm, Biopsy, Pleural Thickening, Pleural Effusion, Lymphadenopathy, CT Scan.

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