Malignant pericardial mesothelioma. Report of two cases, review of the literature and differential diagnosis
Sunday, May 1st, 2005.
Tumori. 2005 May-Jun;91(3):276-9. [Link]
Papi M, Genestreti G, Tassinari D, Lorenzini P, Serra S, Ricci M, Pasquini E, Nicolini M, Pasini G, Tamburini E, Fattori PP, Ravaioli A.
Department of Oncology, Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy. papi1@interfree.it
Abstract
Malignant pericardial mesothelioma is an uncommon variety of a primary malignant cardio-pericardial tumor and it is a highly lethal and fortunately rare cardiac neoplasm. The presentation of pericardial mesothelioma is aspecific and pathologically mesothelioma is not the most common among primary tumors of the pericardium. It is characterized by atypical solid growth of mesothelium with formation of atypical cavities surrounded by fibrous stroma. Antemortem diagnosis is difficult and distant metastases are extremely rare. Radical surgery can be used to treat localized mesothelioma. The treatment for advanced primary pericardial mesothelioma is usually palliative because the tumor is resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The prognosis is unfavorable.The median survival from the onset of symptoms is six months. In this paper we report two cases of patients with primary mesothelioma of the pericardium without a definite history of asbestos exposure.
Glossary
- prognosis
- (prog-no-sis) a prediction of the course of disease; the outlook for the cure of the patient. For example, women with breast cancer that was detected early and who received prompt treatment have a good prognosis.
- oncology
- (on-call-o-jee) the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- neoplasm
- (nee-o-plas-um) an abnormal growth (tumor) that starts from a single altered cell; a neoplasm may be benign or malignant. Cancer is a malignant neoplasm.
- diagnosis
- identifying a disease by its signs or symptoms, and by using imaging procedures and laboratory findings. The earlier a diagnosis of cancer is made, the better the chance for long-term survival.
- chemotherapy
- (key-mo-THER-uh-pee) treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used with surgery or radiation to treat cancer when the cancer has spread, when it has come back (recurred), or when there is a strong chance that it could recur.
- atypical
- (A-tip-uh-kul) not usual; abnormal. Often refers to the appearance of cancerous or precancerous cells. (See also hyperplasia.)
- tumor
- an abnormal lump or mass of tissue. Tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
