A recurrence of benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma treated through laparoscopic excision: a case report and review of the literature

Our plain-English summary of A recurrence of benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma treated through laparoscopic excision: a case report and review of the literature, by T.D. Witek, J.W. Marchese, T.J. Farrell (Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques, 2014).

The study

• Authors: T.D. Witek, J.W. Marchese, T.J. Farrell
• Journal: Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques
• Published: 2014;24(2):e70-3
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 11 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cystic tumor with approximately 140 cases reported to date. It is found mainly in women of reproductive age and is commonly attached to the serosal surface of pelvic viscera. The pathogenesis is uncertain and debate regarding its neoplastic or reactive nature exists. The presenting symptoms are often nonspecific and most commonly include vague lower abdominal pain and fullness. Imaging studies are used to identify the lesion, but histologic studies with the aid of immunohistochemical techniques are needed for definitive diagnosis as the differential diagnosis is quite extensive. Surgical resection is the primary form of treatment, and follow-up is important due to the high rate of recurrence and the rare possibility of malignant transformation. Here, we present a case of a 50-year-old female with a recurrence of benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma treated through laparoscopic excision and also a review of the literature.

In plain English

This article was a case report plus a literature review on benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM), a rare cystic tumor. The patient was a 50-year-old woman with intermittent right-sided abdominal pain of 6 months' duration. Three years earlier she had undergone surgery for a benign multicystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum located behind the right colon. Imaging showed cystic lesions along the ascending colon. Laparoscopic surgery found small recurrent cystic masses on the ascending colon and a new cystic mass below the liver edge, and all were removed. The cells lining the cysts stained positive for calretinin and cytokeratins, and the final diagnosis was recurrent BMPM. She recovered without complications and had no recurrence 5 months after surgery. The article did not report any asbestos exposure for this patient. In the review section, the authors stated that, unlike pleural mesothelioma, no relationship had been found between BMPM and asbestosis. They also stated that earlier reports showed about half of patients had a recurrence. The authors concluded that extended, perhaps lifelong, follow-up is required.

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: Case report of one patient with a narrative review of the literature
• Who was studied: One 50-year-old woman with recurrent benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma. She had previously had surgery 3 years earlier for a benign multicystic mesenteric mesothelioma of the peritoneum. The authors are affiliated with institutions in Scranton, PA.
• Main results:
  • Three years before this presentation, the patient had surgery for a benign multicystic mesenteric mesothelioma of the peritoneum.
  • A repeat CT scan in this patient showed multiloculated fluid collections along the ascending colon, approaching the hepatic flexure.
  • During laparoscopy, recurrent cystic masses on the ascending colon and a new cystic mass below the liver edge were found. All tumors were removed.
  • The cyst-lining cells stained positive for calretinin and cytokeratins. The final diagnosis was recurrent BMPM.
  • The patient had no recurrence 5 months after surgery.
  • In their literature review (not from this patient), the authors stated that no relationship had been found between BMPM and asbestosis, unlike pleural mesothelioma.
  • In their literature review, the authors stated that earlier reports showed about half of patients had a recurrence, as this patient did.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that extended and perhaps lifelong follow-up of BMPM patients is required, because the lesions tend to come back.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Serosal Surface, Differential Diagnosis, Surgical Resection, Malignant Transformation.

Related studies

• Laparoscopic excision of a benign peritoneal cystic mesothelioma — A. Limone, J. Maier, et al. (2010)
• Laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment of pelvic benign multicystic mesothelioma associated with high CA19.9 serum concentration — V. Pinto, A.C. Rossi, et al. (2010)
• Remote Recurrence of Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma — C.E. Lee, A. Agrawal (2017)
• Long-term results of laparoscopic cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC for the curative treatment of low-grade pseudomyxoma peritonei and multicystic mesothelioma — F. Mercier, G. Jeremie, et al. (2020)
• Imaging appearance of benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma: a case report and review of the literature — V. Mehta, V. Chowdhary, et al. (2017)
• Peritoneal cystic mesothelioma treated with minimally invasive approach — G. Navarra, S. Occhionorelli, et al. (1996)

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