Benign cystic mesothelioma: a diagnostic dilemma

Our plain-English summary of Benign cystic mesothelioma: a diagnostic dilemma, by T.S. Usha Kiran, A. Agboola, R. Davies, et al (The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2002).

The study

• Authors: T.S. Usha Kiran, A. Agboola, R. Davies, T.V. Stout
• Journal: The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
• Published: 2002;42(5):552-4
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This article was a case report combined with a review of published cases of benign cystic (multicystic) mesothelioma, a growth of the lining of the pelvis and abdomen. The authors worked at a hospital in Mid Glamorgan, United Kingdom. The patient was a 53-year-old woman with a five-year history of recurring pain and heaviness in the perineum. She gave no history of asbestos exposure. Ultrasound showed a 10.9 x 7.1 x 8.4 cm mass that closely resembled a hydatidiform mole. At surgery the mass arose from the right broad ligament, and similar fluid-filled vesicles covered the omentum and peritoneum. Most of the mass was removed. Microscopy showed a benign multicystic mesothelioma with no atypia or mitotic figures. A later MRI showed minimal residual disease, and a repeat scan one year later showed no progression. In the published cases the authors reviewed, prior surgery was documented in 28% (22/79), and they noted a recurrence rate of 33%. The authors concluded that this tumour should be suspected in people with long-standing vague symptoms, especially Caucasian women of reproductive age.

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 with a review of the literature
• Who was studied: One 53-year-old nulliparous, postmenopausal woman seen in the gynaecology department of Caerphilly District Miner's Hospital, Mid Glamorgan, United Kingdom, plus previously published cases reviewed by the authors
• Exposure: No asbestos exposure was reported for the patient. The article did not study asbestos exposure.
• Main results:
  • Patient: transvaginal ultrasound showed a mass with ill-defined margins measuring 10.9 x 7.1 x 8.4 cm, resembling the snowstorm appearance of a hydatidiform mole
  • Patient: tumour markers for ovarian neoplasm were not raised and beta-HCG was negative
  • Patient: at laparotomy the mass arose from the posterior surface of the right broad ligament, and the omentum and parietal peritoneum were studded with similar vesicles
  • Patient: the bulk of the mass was excised and a partial omentectomy was performed
  • Patient: histology showed a benign multicystic mesothelioma, with vesicles lined by flattened mesothelial cells showing no atypia or mitotic figures
  • Patient: minimal residual disease was seen on a later MRI, with no progression on a repeat MRI one year later
  • Reviewed published cases: a history of prior surgery was documented in 28% (22/79)
  • Reviewed published cases: a recurrence rate of 33%
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that multicystic mesothelioma should be suspected in patients with chronic vague symptoms of discomfort, pain or abdominal mass, especially Caucasian females of reproductive age. They added that ultrasound and laparoscopy with fine needle aspiration biopsy can help obtain a diagnosis before treatment.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • In the reviewed cases, information on race, parity and endometriosis was not available for all cases

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma.

Related studies

• Pediatric Benign Cystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma — J. Durell, H. Dagash, et al. (2016)
• Incidental benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: A case report — M.M. Ianieri, D.I. Buca, et al. (2016)
• Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma: a rare cause of intra-abdominal cystic disease — B. Campbell, D. Mehanna, et al. (2017)
• Laparoscopic excision of a benign peritoneal cystic mesothelioma — A. Limone, J. Maier, et al. (2010)
• Peritoneal benign cystic mesothelioma: a case report and review of the literature — S. van Ruth, M.W. Bronkhorst, et al. (2002)
• van Ruth S, Bronkhorst MWGA, van Coeverden F, Zoetmulder FAN. Peritoneal benign cystic mesothelioma: a case report and review of literature. Eur J Surg Oncol 2002; 28(2): 192-5 — K. Sethna, F. Mohamed, et al. (2002)

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