Incidental benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: A case report

Our plain-English summary of Incidental benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum: A case report, by M.M. Ianieri, D.I. Buca, E. Falò, et al (Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2016).

The study

• Authors: M.M. Ianieri, D.I. Buca, E. Falò, A. Di Lorito, M. Liberati
• Journal: Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Published: 2016;36(1):135-6
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This article is a case report from the obstetrics and gynecology unit of SS. Annunziata Hospital in Chieti, Italy. It describes one patient with benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen. The patient was a 40-year-old woman referred because a suspected right ovarian cyst had been found at a routine check. She had no symptoms, smoked five cigarettes a day, and denied exposure to asbestos. Ultrasound showed a cystic mass with many compartments in the pelvis, up to 104 mm across, and a second similar lesion up to 67 mm. Her ovaries were normal. During laparoscopy (keyhole surgery), the surgeons found multiple grape-shaped, fluid-filled cysts and removed all of them. Under the microscope, the cysts were lined by mesothelial cells with no abnormal-looking cells. Stains confirmed that the cells were mesothelial, and a marker of cell growth (Ki67) was under 1%. The final diagnosis was benign mesothelioma of the peritoneum. She went home after 2 days and was disease-free two months after surgery. Citing earlier reports of high recurrence and possible malignant change, the authors concluded that adequate follow-up is needed.

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)
• Who was studied: One 40-year-old woman treated at SS. Annunziata Hospital, Chieti, Italy. She was referred with a suspected serous cystadenoma of the right ovary found at a routine check. Dates of treatment are not given.
• Exposure: No asbestos exposure. The patient denied exposure to asbestos and smoked 5 cigarettes a day. Her history included one caesarean section, three miscarriages and a partial thyroidectomy.
• Main results:
  • Transvaginal ultrasound in this patient showed a large multi-loculated cystic mass in the Douglas pouch, maximum diameter 104 mm. It also showed a second similar lesion, maximum diameter 67 mm, between the uterus and bladder.
  • Laparoscopy found pelvic adhesions and multiple grape-shaped fluid-filled cysts, and all cystic lesions were removed.
  • On microscopy, the cysts were lined by mesothelial cells, and the cells showed no atypia.
  • Ki67 was less than 1%, which the authors took to suggest a tumour with low proliferation.
  • The final diagnosis, based on morphology and immunohistochemical stains, was benign mesothelioma of the peritoneum.
  • The patient was discharged after 2 days and was disease-free two months after the operation, with regular monitoring for recurrence.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that adequate follow-up is needed because of the high recurrence rate and possible malignant transformation reported in earlier literature.

Topics

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

Related studies

• Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a male child — Z. Stojsic, R. Jankovic, 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: a diagnostic dilemma — T.S. Usha Kiran, A. Agboola, et al. (2002)
• Benign cystic mesothelioma: a case series with one case complicated by pregnancy — O. Akbayir, A. Gedikbasi, et al. (2011)
• 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)

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