Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma: A case report and review of the literature
Friday, September 29th, 2006.
World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006 September 21;12(35):5739-5742. [Link]
Michael C Safioleas, Kontzoglou Constantinos, Stamatakos Michael, Safioleas Constantinos, Kostakis Alkiviadis, 2nd Department of Propedeutic Surgery, School of Medicine, Athens University, Laiko Hospital, Athens, Greece
Abstract
Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) is a rare tumor that occurs mainly in women in their reproductive age. The pathogenesis of BMPM is unclear and a controversy regarding its neoplastic and reactive nature exists.
The biological behavior of BMPM is characterized by its slowly progressive process and high rate of recurrence after surgical resection. In addition this lesion does not present a strong tendency to transform into malignancy. Today approximately 130 cases have been reported.
We here report a 62-year-old woman who had diffuse abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Physical examination revealed a painful mass in her upper abdomen. She reported a mild dehydration, but the vital signs were normal. Peristaltic rushes, gurgles and high-pitched tinkles were audible. Upright plain abdominal film revealed small bowel loops with air-fluid levels. She was diagnosed having an incarcerated incisional hernia that resulted in intestinal obstruction. The patient underwent surgery during which a cystic mass of the right ovary measuring 6 cm x 5 cm x 4 cm, four small cysts of the small bowel (1 cm in diameter) and a cyst at the retroperitoneum measuring 11 cm x 10 cm x 3 cm were found. Complete resection of the lesion was performed. The patient had an uneventful recovery and had no recurrence two years after surgery.
Glossary
- resection
- surgery to remove part or all of an organ or other structure.
- recurrence
- cancer that has come back after treatment. Local recurrence is when the cancer comes back at the same place as the original cancer. Regional recurrence is when the cancer appears in the lymph nodes near the first site. Distant recurrence is when it appears in organs or tissues (such as the lungs, liver, bone marrow, or brain) farther from the original site than the regional lymph nodes. Metastasis means that the disease has recurred at a distant site.
- lesion
- (lee-zhun) a change in body tissue; sometimes used as another word for tumor.
- cyst
- (sist) a fluid-filled mass that is usually benign. The fluid can be removed for analysis.
- benign
- (be-nine) not cancer; not malignant.
- 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.)
Is there any doctors doing research on benign cystic mesothelioma. I was diagnosed at the age of 9, had 4 surgeries when I was young, a drainage in my 20’s and am now 53. I have not been followed up in several years, although last cat scan showed the multi-faceted cysts in lower abdominal region.