Localized fibrous "mesothelioma" of pleura (submesothelial fibroma): a clinicopathologic study of 18 cases

Our plain-English summary of Localized fibrous "mesothelioma" of pleura (submesothelial fibroma): a clinicopathologic study of 18 cases, by D. Scharifker, M. Kaneko (Cancer, 1979).

The study

• Authors: D. Scharifker, M. Kaneko
• Journal: Cancer
• Published: 1979;43(2):627-35
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 105 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher
• In J-M's library: Johns-Manville's company medical library held a copy.

Abstract

Eighteen cases of solid fibrous tumors of the visceral pleura are studied. The series includes neoplasms of various sizes removed during the last 17 years at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Most tumors showed consistent gross and light microscopic features, such as encapsulation, preservation of pedicle, origin from visceral pleura, predominance of spindle cells with more or less hyalinized stroma, little or no pleomorphism or mitotic activity and no infiltration of the underlying lung. No sex predominance or relation to environmental pollutants was noted. Peak incidence was in the 6th decade of life. Total excision proved curative in all cases with no recurrences or complications. The cell of origin of this tumor appears to be a noncommitted mesenchymal cell present in the areolar tissue subjacent to the mesothelial lining.

In plain English

This was a case series from the Department of Pathology at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The authors reviewed 18 localized fibrous tumors of the pleura, which they also called localized fibrous "mesothelioma" or submesothelial fibroma. The tumors came from the hospital's surgical pathology files covering the previous 17 years. Patients were aged 34 to 73; eight were male and ten female. A history of exposure to asbestos or other significant industrial pollutants could not be demonstrated in any case, and the authors found no association between these tumors and asbestos exposure. Every tumor inside the pleural space was attached to the visceral pleura. A common way they came to light was as a mass with no symptoms seen on a chest x-ray. Five tumors showed some pleomorphism (variation in cell appearance), and one was considered sarcomatous; that patient was lost to follow-up. All patients had complete removal of the tumor. There were no recurrences over follow-up of 6 months to 17 years (average 6.2 years). One patient later developed adenocarcinoma of the right lung. The authors concluded that these tumors probably arise from submesothelial mesenchymal cells.

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: Retrospective clinicopathologic case series drawn from hospital surgical pathology files
• Who was studied: 18 patients with solitary, localized fibrous tumors of the pleura seen at The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, over the 17 years before publication (1979); aged 34 to 73, 8 male and 10 female
• Exposure: No patient had a demonstrable history of exposure to asbestos or other significant industrial pollutants; no fiber types are discussed
• Main results:
  • Of the 18 patients, 8 (45%) were male and 10 (55%) were female
  • Patient ages ranged from 34 to 73 years
  • Of the 18 tumors, 8 were in the right pleura, 7 in the left and 2 were mediastinal; in one case the location was not indicated
  • In all intrapleural cases the tumor was attached to the visceral pleura, without involvement of the parietal pleura
  • A common presentation was a mass with no symptoms, discovered on a chest x-ray
  • Tumor size ranged from 2 cm to 20 cm
  • Some pleomorphism was seen in 5 cases
  • One tumor, in a 63-year-old man, showed enough pleomorphism to be considered sarcomatous
  • After complete resection there were no recurrences; follow-up ranged from 6 months to 17 years, averaging 6.2 years
  • One patient developed a mucin-secreting adenocarcinoma of the right lung 10 years after removal of a benign pleural tumor on the same side
  • The authors found no association between these solitary pleural tumors and asbestos exposure
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that these tumors probably arise from submesothelial mesenchymal cells rather than from the mesothelial cells themselves
• Limitations the authors state:
  • For the one tumor with sarcomatous features (case 16), follow-up was not available

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Pleura, Visceral Pleura, Neoplasm, Encapsulation, Spindle Cell.

Related studies

• Fine-needle aspiration cytology of localized fibrous tumor of pleura — D. Dusenbery, M.M. Grimes, et al. (1992)
• Malignant localized fibrous tumor of the pleura occurring in a person environmentally exposed to tremolite asbestos — M. Metintas, A.R. Gibbs, et al. (1997)
• Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura: clinical characteristics, surgical treatment and outcome — P. Magdeleinat, M. Alifano, et al. (2002)
• Solitary fibrous tumor of the nasal cavity and orbit — M. Fukunaga, S. Ushigome, et al. (1995)
• Solitary fibrous tumour of the orbit — R. Sciot, J. Goffin, et al. (1996)
• Localized fibrous tumours of the pleura: 15 new cases and review of the literature — M. Suter, S. Gebhard, et al. (1998)

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