Pathology of Primary Tumours of the Pleura
Saturday, September 13th, 2008.
Zentralblatt für Chirurgie. 2008 Jun;133(3):222-6. [Link]
Junker K, Krismann M.
Zentrum für Pathologie, Klinikum Bremen-Mitte, Bremen. klaus.junker@klinikum-bremen-mitte.de
Abstract
In the WHO classification, pleural tumours of mesothelial and mesenchymal origin as well as lymphoproliferative disorders are distinguished, with malignant mesotheliomas forming the most common primary pleural tumour. Histologically, a prognostically relevant differentiation between epitheloid (40-60 %), sarcomatoid (20-30 %), and biphasic mesotheliomas (20-30 %) is made. Besides other rare primary tumours of the pleura, the differential diagnoses of malignant mesotheliomas comprise carcinomatous pleuritis of intra- and extrapulmonary malignancies. Especially in early tumour stages, the differentiation from reactive pleural changes requires a close interdisciplinary cooperation with a careful correlation between histopathological findings and clinical presentation.
Keywords: malignant pleural mesothelioma – carcinomatous pleuritis – solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura – WHO classification
Glossary
- pleura
- (pler-uh) the membrane around the lungs and lining of the chest cavity. (Pleural mesothelioma.)
- differentiation
- (dif-er-en-she-A-shun) the normal process through which cells mature so they can carry out the jobs they were meant to do. Cancer cells are poorly differentiated.
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
