Localized fibrous nodular mesothelioma of the pelvis

Our plain-English summary of Localized fibrous nodular mesothelioma of the pelvis, by M.J. Schutz, R. Fink (Southern Medical Journal, 1998).

The study

• Authors: M.J. Schutz, R. Fink
• Journal: Southern Medical Journal
• Published: 1998;91(3):280-2
• Type of article: Case report, Review
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

We present a case of localized fibrous nodular mesothelioma of the pelvis. There is one previously reported case of this uncommon pelvic tumor. We review and discuss the diagnostic and pathologic findings and relevant literature.

In plain English

This case report with a short literature review came from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It described a 22-year-old man, an oil field worker, who had pelvic and low back pain and constipation that had slowly worsened over 2 to 3 months. He had lost 10 lb in the past month. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass between the prostate, bladder and rectum. After a diverting colostomy, a biopsy showed a benign spindle cell tumor. Surgeons then removed the mass with its capsule intact, leaving the bladder, rectum and prostate in place. The mass measured 9.6 x 8.8 x 4.4 cm. The final diagnosis was localized benign fibrous mesothelioma, which the authors described as generally a benign tumor. He received no adjuvant therapy and showed no evidence of recurrence over 2 years of follow-up. He fathered a child about a year after surgery. The authors concluded that diagnosing the tumor as benign before definitive surgery spared him an exenterative procedure and let him keep his bladder and prostate. The article does not mention asbestos or any other 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 with a brief literature review
• Who was studied: one 22-year-old man, an oil field worker, referred to the University of Arkansas Medical Center
• Main results:
  • The patient had pelvic and low back pain and constipation over 2 to 3 months, and had lost 10 lb in the past month
  • Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass between the prostate, bladder and rectum, with no metastatic disease
  • A biopsy taken at the time of the diverting colostomy showed a benign spindle cell neoplasm
  • The mass was removed with its capsule intact, and the bladder, rectum and prostate were left in place
  • The mass measured 9.6 x 8.8 x 4.4 cm
  • The final pathologic diagnosis was localized benign fibrous mesothelioma
  • The authors described localized fibrous nodular mesothelioma as generally a benign spindle cell tumor
  • The patient received no adjuvant therapy and had no evidence of recurrence over 2 years of follow-up
  • The patient retained erectile function and fathered a child about 1 year after surgery
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that diagnosing a benign tumor before definitive surgery spared the patient an exenterative procedure and allowed him to keep his bladder and prostate

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.

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• An incidental diagnosis of well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma in a woman operated on for recurrent endometriosis — R. Mangal, O. Taskin, et al. (1995)
• Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma in the pelvic cavity. A case report — T. Haba, K. Wakasa, et al. (2003)
• Perineal and colonic metastases in two cases of malignant mesothelioma — B. Grewal, G. Reid, et al. (2012)
• Pseudomesotheliomatous carcinoma due to pleural metastasis from renal pelvic cancer — Y. Katsuya, M. Fukusumi, et al. (2014)

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