Deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma: CT findings with pathologic correlation

Our plain-English summary of Deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma: CT findings with pathologic correlation, by D.J. Chung, Y.W. Kang, B.K. Kim, et al (Abdominal Imaging, 2003).

The study

• Authors: D.J. Chung, Y.W. Kang, B.K. Kim, J.Y. Park, Y.S. An, J.M. Yang, J.H. Kim
• Journal: Abdominal Imaging
• Published: 2003;28(5):614-6
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 7 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

We report a rare case of deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma in a 47-year-old woman who had no history of asbestos exposure or previous surgery. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopic findings showed that the tumor was a subtype of epithelioid mesothelioma. Awareness of this disease entity is helpful for the differential diagnosis of peritoneal masses.

In plain English

This article was a case report about one 47-year-old woman in Korea with deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare type of mesothelioma of the abdominal lining. She had a one-month history of abdominal pain and swelling, and no history of asbestos exposure or previous surgery. Her laboratory tests were normal except for a CA-125 of 168 U/mL. CT scans showed a mass in the omentum (a fatty fold in the abdomen), abdominal fluid, and thickening of the peritoneum and mesentery. Her ovaries looked normal. Surgeons removed the omental mass and both ovaries and fallopian tubes. Under the microscope the tumor had a deciduoid appearance within the range of epithelioid mesothelioma. Stains were positive for calretinin and cytokeratin. Small numbers of malignant cells were found on the surface of the ovaries and tubes. She received chemotherapy. A CT scan one month after surgery showed extensive spread in the peritoneum and rapidly increasing fluid. The authors noted that her CT findings were not unique to this tumor. They concluded it should be considered in young women suspected of peritoneal mesothelioma who have no asbestos exposure.

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
• Who was studied: One 47-year-old woman with a 1-month history of generalized abdominal pain and distention, seen at the University of Konyang College of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
• Exposure: None reported: the patient had no history of asbestos exposure or previous surgery
• Main results:
  • Laboratory tests were within normal limits except for a CA-125 of 168 U/mL
  • Initial enhanced CT showed a mantle-like omental mass, ascites and diffuse peritoneal thickening; both ovaries were normal
  • At operation the omental mass was removed; both ovaries and tubes were removed and no ovarian tumor was found
  • Light and electron microscopy showed a deciduoid morphology that appeared to be part of the spectrum of epithelioid mesothelioma
  • Immunohistochemistry was positive for calretinin and cytokeratin
  • Small numbers of malignant cells were found on the surface of the ovaries and fallopian tubes
  • The patient was treated with chemotherapy. Follow-up CT 1 month after surgery showed extensive peritoneal involvement and rapidly increasing ascites
  • The authors noted that the patient's CT findings were consistent with peritoneal mesothelioma but are not unique and can be found in other tumors
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma should be included in the differential diagnosis in suspected cases of peritoneal mesothelioma in young female patients with no etiologic relation to asbestos exposure
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors stated that the number of recorded cases is too small to establish a prognosis

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: Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Asbestos Exposure, Immunohistochemistry, Epithelioid, Mesothelioma, Differential Diagnosis.

Related studies

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• From the archives of the AFIP: primary peritoneal tumors: imaging features with pathologic correlation — A.D. Levy, J. Arnáiz, et al. (2008)
• CT findings in benign fibrous mesothelioma of the pleura: pathologic correlation in nine patients — K.S. Lee, J.G. Im, et al. (1992)
• Peritoneal mesothelioma: CT and MRI findings — M. Puvaneswary, S. Chen, et al. (2002)
• CT findings of hypervascular malignant peritoneal mesothelioma — D.S. Granke, J.H. Ellis, et al. (1987)
• Symptoms, signs and radiologic findings in patients having reoperative surgery for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma — M.D. Llanos, P.H. Sugarbaker (2017)

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