Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a male child

Our plain-English summary of Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a male child, by Z. Stojsic, R. Jankovic, B. Jovanovic, et al (Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 2012).

The study

• Authors: Z. Stojsic, R. Jankovic, B. Jovanovic, D. Vujovic, B. Vucinic, D. Bacetic
• Journal: Journal of Pediatric Surgery
• Published: 2012;47(10):e45-9
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 11 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a rare lesion that occurs predominatly in women of reproductive age and has a high propensity for local recurrence. It is very rare in childhood, especially in boys, being reported in only 4 cases. A new case of benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in an 11-year-old boy is reported. The lesion occupied the entire left abdomen, arising from the transverse mesocolon, and it was accompanied by 4 small cysts. The patient had a coexistent right-sided renal agenesis. The mesothelial nature of the cysts epithelial lining cells was confirmed by immunopositivity for calretinin, cytokeratin 5/6, HBME1, and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). No recurrence of the lesion was noted in the 7-month follow-up. Pathologists and clinicians should be aware of the existence of this rare entity in childhood to establish an accurate diagnosis and provide close follow-up after the surgery.

Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In plain English

This was a case report about one 11-year-old boy with benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen. The authors described it as the fifth reported case of this lesion in a male child. The boy had a 1.5-month history of increasing abdominal pain and no history of illness or prior surgery. Computed tomography showed a 15 × 14 × 13-cm cystic mass in the left abdomen, and his right kidney was absent. At surgery the cyst was found to arise from the transverse mesocolon. It was removed, along with 4 small separate cysts nearby. Under the microscope the cyst lining was benign in appearance. Staining tests supported a mesothelial origin. Staining for Ki-67, a marker of cell proliferation, gave a labeling index of 1.4%, counted over 1,000 consecutive cell nuclei; the authors called this low and in accordance with the benign appearance. The boy was disease-free 7 months after surgery. The article does not mention asbestos. The authors concluded that it is important to recognize this rare lesion, which is prone to recur, in childhood.

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 (single patient), described by the authors as the fifth reported case of this lesion in a male child
• Who was studied: One 11-year-old boy referred to the authors' institution with a suspected abdominal tumor
• Exposure: None reported; the article does not mention asbestos
• Main results:
  • The boy had a 1.5-month history of increasing abdominal pain
  • The boy had no history of illness or prior surgery before his symptoms began
  • Computed tomography showed a large, 15 × 14 × 13-cm unilocular cystic mass in the left abdomen
  • At surgery the large cyst originated from the transverse mesocolon (printed as 'mesolon')
  • Four separate small translucent cysts were found next to the large cyst and removed
  • Absence (agenesis) of the right kidney was confirmed during surgery
  • The cyst lining was completely benign in appearance
  • The lining cells were positive for mesothelial markers including calretinin, pancytokeratin, cytokeratin 5/6, HBME1 and EMA
  • Ki-67 staining gave a labeling index of 1.4%, counted over 1000 consecutive cell nuclei
  • The authors described the Ki-67 proliferative activity of 1.4% as low and in accordance with the benign histology
  • The patient was disease-free 7 months after surgery
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, because benign cystic mesothelioma is rare and prone to recur, it is important to recognize that it occurs in childhood

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Peritoneum, Calretinin, Cytokeratin 5/6, Epithelial Membrane Antigen (EMA).

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)
• Incidental benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: A case report — M.M. Ianieri, D.I. Buca, et al. (2016)
• Pediatric Benign Cystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma — J. Durell, H. Dagash, et al. (2016)
• Peritoneal benign cystic mesothelioma: a case report and review of the literature — S. van Ruth, M.W. Bronkhorst, et al. (2002)
• The antiestrogen tamoxifen in the treatment of recurrent benign cystic mesothelioma — G.S. Letterie, J.L. Yon (1998)
• Giant benign cystic peritoneal mesothelioma: US, CT, and MRI findings — A. Ozgen, D. Akata, et al. (1998)

Browse more research in Journal of Pediatric Surgery, or return to medical research.