Localized pleural mesothelioma. The clinical spectrum

Our plain-English summary of Localized pleural mesothelioma. The clinical spectrum, by L.A. Robinson, R.B. Reilly (Chest, 1994).

The study

• Authors: L.A. Robinson, R.B. Reilly
• Journal: Chest
• Published: 1994;106(5):1611-5
• Type of article: Case report, Review
• Cited by: 47 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Localized pleural mesotheliomas are rare tumors that have a variety of clinical presentations, from an asymptomatic solitary nodule to a massive, highly symptomatic neoplasm filling most of the pleural cavity. Two cases are reported which show the clinical spectrum of the more common benign variant. The clinical differentiation between the benign tumor as well as the less frequent malignant neoplasms of localized mesotheliomas has been disappointing. Complete surgical resection is the preferred treatment for both types and is usually curative with the benign mesothelioma.

In plain English

This article reported two cases of localized pleural mesothelioma, a rare pleural tumor, seen at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The authors reported that of 17 mesotheliomas seen at their institution over 10 years, only these two patients had the localized benign variant. Both patients were women, and neither had known asbestos exposure. The first, a 48-year-old housewife with no symptoms, had a small nodule found on a routine chest radiograph in 1983. It was removed and diagnosed as a benign fibrous mesothelioma, and she had no recurrence 10 years later. The second, a 63-year-old retail store clerk, had chest pain, shortness of breath and shoulder pain in 1987. A large mass with a large pleural effusion filled the lower left chest. The removed tumor weighed 1,201 g and was diagnosed as a localized benign spindle-cell mesothelioma. She was healthy with no recurrence 6 years later. Citing earlier studies, the authors wrote that the benign solitary tumor has no association with asbestos exposure or tobacco use. The authors concluded that localized benign mesotheliomas are usually cured by complete surgical removal.

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: Two case reports, with a discussion of the published literature
• Who was studied: Two women treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha: a 48-year-old housewife and former smoker seen in 1983, and a 63-year-old retail store clerk seen in 1987. According to the authors, they were the only localized benign mesotheliomas among 17 mesotheliomas seen at the institution over 10 years.
• Exposure: Neither patient had known asbestos exposure. The first patient was a former smoker. The second patient had no tobacco use.
• Main results:
  • Case 1 (48-year-old woman): the 1.5-cm mass removed from the pleura was diagnosed as a benign fibrous mesothelioma.
  • Case 1: no recurrence and no symptoms 10 years after surgery.
  • Case 2 (63-year-old woman): CT showed a large mass filling the lower left pleural cavity, with a large pleural effusion.
  • Case 2: the removed tumor measured 14.5 x 13.0 x 10.0 cm and weighed 1,201 g.
  • Case 2: the tumor was diagnosed as a localized benign spindle-cell mesothelioma.
  • Case 2: the patient was healthy with no recurrence 6 years after surgery.
  • Not this study's own data: citing earlier published studies, the authors stated that the benign solitary tumor has no association with asbestos exposure or tobacco use.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that localized benign mesotheliomas are usually cured by complete surgical resection.

Topics

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

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Pleural Mesothelioma, Neoplasm, Pleural Cavity, Localized Malignant Mesothelioma, Surgical Resection, Mesothelioma.

Related studies

• Asbestosis: clinical spectrum and pathogenic mechanisms — D.W. Kamp, S.A. Weitzman (1997)
• Spectrum of peritoneal mesothelioma in childhood: clinical and histopathologic features, including DNA cytometry — F.K. Niggli, T.J. Gray, et al. (1994)
• Diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma in an urban hospital: clinical spectrum and trend in incidence over time — K.E. Shepherd, L.C. Oliver, et al. (1989)
• Localized fibrous tumors (LFTs) of the pleura: clinical data, asbestos burden, and syntactic structure analysis applied to newly defined angiogenic/growth-regulatory effectors — K. Kayser, J. Trott, et al. (2005)
• Meta-Analysis of Different Procedures: The Importance of Recognizing the Spectrum of Pleurectomy/Decortication Techniques — C. Cao, D.H. Tian, et al. (2015)
• Localized mesotheliomas of the pleura. The pathologic evaluation of 18 cases — E.A. Foster, L.V. Ackerman (1960)

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