Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum--a case report

Our plain-English summary of Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum--a case report, by Y.L. Suh, W.J. Choi (Journal of Korean Medical Science, 1989).

The study

• Authors: Y.L. Suh, W.J. Choi
• Journal: Journal of Korean Medical Science
• Published: 1989;4(2):111-5
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 10 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

A case of benign cystic mesothelioma in a 53-year-old woman is presented. The patient had abdominal pain and a palpable mass for 4 days. This mass was noticed incidentally by an obstetrician. A computed tomographic scan of the abdomen and pelvic sonography showed a cystic mass, 6 x 4 cm, in the right lower quadrant close to the cecum and suggested cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary. Operation showed that the mass involved peritoneum in region of the appendix. Complete removal of the mass was done. Grossly it consisted of multilocular cyst containing clear, serous, gelatinous fluid. The light microscopic examination revealed that this lesion consisted of cystic spaces of various size and intervening connective tissue stroma. The cells lined the cysts varied from flattened to cuboidal with occasionally a picket-fence or hobnailed appearance in areas. Brush borders were seen on the luminal surface of some cells. Electron microscopic examination confirmed that the cells were mesothelial origin. This lesion mimics cystic lymphangioma of the abdomen grossly and light microscopically, from which differential features are discussed.

In plain English

This was a case report from Hallym University in Seoul, Korea. It described one 53-year-old woman with benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen. She had abdominal pain and a mass in the right lower abdomen for 4 days. A CT scan showed a 6x4cm cystic mass near the cecum, and pelvic ultrasound suggested ovarian cancer (cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary). At surgery the mass was multicystic, 7cm across, and partly involved the peritoneum near the appendix. The liver, pancreas, ovaries and appendix were unremarkable, and the mass was completely removed. It held clear, serous, gelatinous fluid. Under the light microscope it looked like cystic lymphangioma, a growth of lymph vessels. However, some lining cells had a picket-fence or hobnailed look and brush borders, and electron microscopy confirmed they were mesothelial cells. The article did not report this patient's asbestos exposure or any follow-up after surgery. In their discussion the authors cited earlier literature on about 50 reported cases, none with a history of asbestos exposure. The authors described features that distinguish this lesion from lymphangioma.

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 (one patient)
• Who was studied: One 53-year-old woman admitted to a surgery department (Hallym University, Seoul, Korea). The dates of care are not given; the article was published in 1989.
• Exposure: The article does not report whether this patient had asbestos exposure or what her occupation was. The discussion states that in about 50 earlier reported cases (other authors' reports, not this case), none of the patients had a history of asbestos exposure.
• Main results:
  • In this patient, CT showed a 6x4cm cystic mass in the right lower quadrant close to the cecum, and imaging suggested cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary.
  • At surgery the mass was completely removed.
  • The removed mass was a multilocular cyst containing clear, serous, gelatinous fluid.
  • Under the light microscope, the cells lining the cysts ranged from flattened to cuboidal, with picket-fence or hobnailed areas.
  • Electron microscopy confirmed that the lining cells were of mesothelial origin.
  • To the naked eye and under the light microscope, the lesion resembled cystic lymphangioma.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that plump, hobnailed or picket-fence lining cells with luminal microvilli identified the cells as mesothelial, and that this separates the lesion from lymphangioma, whose endothelial cells do not have microvilli.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma, Peritoneal mesothelioma.

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

Related studies

• Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a child-case report and review of the literature — V.C. Shakya, C.S. Agrawal, et al. (2011)
• Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a male child — Z. Stojsic, R. Jankovic, et al. (2012)
• Incidental benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: A case report — M.M. Ianieri, D.I. Buca, et al. (2016)
• Cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum — J.D. O'Neil, P.R. Ros, et al. (1989)
• Giant benign cystic peritoneal mesothelioma: US, CT, and MRI findings — A. Ozgen, D. Akata, et al. (1998)
• Benign cystic peritoneal mesothelioma — J.A. Schneider, E.J. Zelnick (1985)

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