Cystic mesothelioma of the gallbladder: MR imaging findings

Our plain-English summary of Cystic mesothelioma of the gallbladder: MR imaging findings, by S. Mezghani, H. Mhalla, L. Bouallegue, et al (Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, 2015).

The study

• Authors: S. Mezghani, H. Mhalla, L. Bouallegue, S. Gharbi, F. Chebbi, I. Chelly, S. Haouet
• Journal: Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging
• Published: 2015;96(2):221-3
• Type of article: Case report, Letter
• Cited by: 1 article, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This letter is a case report, by authors from hospitals in Tunisia, about one patient with cystic peritoneal mesothelioma (CPM) next to the gallbladder. The article describes CPM as a rare benign tumor arising from the lining cells of the peritoneum. A 53-year-old woman had abdominal symptoms suggesting hepatic colic. Ultrasound showed two fluid-filled cystic structures in the gallbladder area. On a repeat non-fasting scan, one of these structures collapsed, consistent with the gallbladder emptying, and the other did not change in shape or volume. MR cholangiography confirmed that one structure was the gallbladder. The other was a single-chambered cystic lesion clearly separate from the gallbladder, with no visible direct connection to the bile ducts. After the mass was removed in one piece, tissue examination showed benign CPM together with chronic cholecystitis, and staining tests supported this. The patient had no recurrence after 2 years of follow-up. The article does not mention asbestos. The authors assumed that chronic inflammation from cholecystitis caused the tumor. The authors concluded that imaging features are not specific, but MR cholangiography helps suggest the diagnosis before surgery, and that MRI monitoring is critical for detecting recurrence or malignant transformation.

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 (letter)
• Who was studied: One 53-year-old woman with abdominal symptoms suggesting hepatic colic. The authors are from hospitals in Ben Arous and Tunis, Tunisia. The article gives no dates.
• Exposure: The article does not mention asbestos or any other exposure. The authors assumed the tumor developed from a chronic inflammatory process originating from chronic cholecystitis.
• Main results:
  • Ultrasound showed two fluid-filled cystic structures in the gallbladder fossa. On a repeat non-fasting scan, one collapsed, consistent with the gallbladder emptying, and the other did not change.
  • MR cholangiography confirmed that one cystic structure was the gallbladder, because it connected directly with the cystic duct.
  • On MR cholangiography, the other cystic lesion was clearly distinct from the compressed gallbladder and had a single chamber.
  • On MR imaging, no direct communication between this lesion and the bile ducts was visible.
  • After the mass was removed in one piece, tissue examination showed benign CPM together with chronic cholecystitis.
  • Immunohistochemical staining was positive for epithelial membrane antigen and negative for factor VIII.
  • The patient recovered well, with no recurrence after 2 years of follow-up.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that imaging features are not specific but that MR cholangiography helps suggest the diagnosis before surgery, and that MRI monitoring is critical for diagnosing recurrence or malignant transformation.

Topics

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

Related studies

• Giant benign cystic peritoneal mesothelioma: US, CT, and MRI findings — A. Ozgen, D. Akata, et al. (1998)
• Yale Cancer Center Precision Medicine Tumor Board: molecular findings alter a diagnosis and treatment plan — J.A. Gibson, K.E. Finberg, et al. (2021)
• Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in two pediatric patients: MR imaging findings — M. Haliloglu, F.A. Hoffer, et al. (2000)
• Benign fibrous mesothelioma of the pleura: MR imaging findings — G.N. Harris, A. Rozenshtein, et al. (1995)
• Malignant pleural mesothelioma with osteoblastic heterologous elements: CT and MR imaging findings — G. Chave, L. Chalabreysse, et al. (2002)
• Peritoneal benign cystic mesothelioma: a case report and review of the literature — S. van Ruth, M.W. Bronkhorst, et al. (2002)

Browse return to medical research.