Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: a case report and literature review

Our plain-English summary of Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: a case report and literature review, by H. Elbouhaddouti, A. Bouassria, O. Mouaqit, et al (World Journal of Emergency Surgery, 2013).

The study

• Authors: H. Elbouhaddouti, A. Bouassria, O. Mouaqit, B. Benjelloun el, A. Ousadden, K. Mazaz, K.A. Taleb
• Journal: World Journal of Emergency Surgery
• Published: 2013;8(1):43
• Cited by: 31 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum (BCM) is an uncommon lesion with some 130 cases reported since the first case described by Smith and Mennenmeyer in 1979. It is a rare intra abdominal tumor occurring predominantly in women of reproductive age. Due to the rarity of this tumor, similarity of patient presentation, and comparable features on imaging, the diagnosis of this pathology is difficult, and is based on histological findings. This tumor is known for local recurrence. It's agreed that surgery is the only effective treatment, but there are no evidence-based treatment strategies for BCM.

In plain English

This article from Fez, Morocco, combined a single-patient case report with a review of published reports of benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum (BCM), a rare abdominal tumor. A 71-year-old woman came to the emergency department with two days of abdominal pain and diarrhea, after four months of increasing abdominal size. A CT scan showed a large multi-loculated cystic mass filling nearly the entire abdomen. At surgery the mass extended from the pelvis to the liver, with peritoneal thickening and many cysts that made removal very difficult. The mass and some free-floating cysts were removed, and the pathology report showed benign cystic mesothelioma. She was discharged after 6 days. At 1 and 3 months she had no functional complaints but kept a slight abdominal distension. The review listed earlier reports in a table and cited about 130 cases in the literature. The article did not mention asbestos or any exposure history for the patient. The authors concluded that BCM has a high local recurrence rate and needs care in a specialized center because there are no evidence-based treatment strategies.

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 literature review (a table of previously published case reports and series)
• Who was studied: one 71-year-old woman seen as an emergency at the surgery department of University hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco; the date of treatment is not given
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure history is reported for the patient. The discussion, citing other work, lists foreign fibres and dusts among suggested provoking factors for mesothelial cell changes. The article does not mention asbestos by name.
• Main results:
  • In the patient, CT scanning showed a large spherical multi-loculated cystic mass in the abdomen, occupying nearly the entire abdominal cavity
  • At laparotomy the cystic mass extended from the pelvis to the liver, with significant peritoneal thickening, peritoneal effusion and many cystic lesions that made dissection and resection very difficult
  • The pathology report on the removed mass and cysts showed benign cystic mesothelioma
  • The patient was discharged home after 6 days. At follow-up at 1 and 3 months she had no functional complaints and kept a slight abdominal distension.
  • The literature review (Table 1) listed published reports, and the authors cited about 130 cases reported in the literature
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that BCM is a rare tumor with a high local recurrence rate that requires optimal care in a specialized center, since there are no evidence-based treatment strategies.

Topics

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

Related studies

• Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: a rare case and review of the literature — S. Khuri, H. Gilshtein, et al. (2012)
• 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)
• Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum--a case report — Y.L. Suh, W.J. Choi (1989)
• Incidental benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: A case report — M.M. Ianieri, D.I. Buca, et al. (2016)
• Benign Cystic Mesothelioma of the Peritoneum Arising at the Greater Omentum in a 14-Year-Old Boy — Y. Hirayama, N. Higashidate, et al. (2025)

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