Localized visceral invasion of peritoneal mesothelioma causing intestinal obstruction: a new clinical presentation
Saturday, July 30th, 2005.
Hepatogastroenterology. 2005 Jul-Aug;52(64):1087-9. [Link]
Sethna K, Sugarbaker PH.
Washington Cancer Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a surface malignancy involving the serous surfaces of the abdominal cavity. In the case presented here, the disease presented itself in a manner that has not been previously described. The tumor involved the full thickness of the bowel besides the familiar surface spread which is characteristic of the disease. Intestinal obstruction is a rare or late presentation of mesothelioma. It was the presenting symptom in the present case due to the full thickness infiltration of the small bowel by the tumor. The offending segment was resected and the ascites was treated with intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Though the patient at present has progression of disease he enjoys a reasonable quality of life after palliation of the ascites and obstruction.
Glossary
- 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.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- 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.
- peritoneal
- (pair-uh-tuh-nee-al) the serous membrane that lines the cavity of the abdomen. (More on Peritoneal Mesothelioma.)
- intraperitoneal chemotherapy
- (IPC) a form of regional chemotherapy; the flooding of the abdominal cavity with chemotheraputic drugs to target the cancer cells directly. It is sometimes heated to improve absorption of the anticancer drugs by the cancerous cells and because heat itself can kill cancer cells.
- ascites
- (uh-sigh-tees) excess fluid accumulation in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity.
