Multicystic benign mesothelioma of the pelvic peritoneum presenting as acute abdominal pain in a young woman

Our plain-English summary of Multicystic benign mesothelioma of the pelvic peritoneum presenting as acute abdominal pain in a young woman, by J.H. Hong, S. Jeon, J.H. Lee, et al (Obstetrics & Gynecology Science, 2013).

The study

• Authors: J.H. Hong, S. Jeon, J.H. Lee, K.H. Nam, D.H. Bae
• Journal: Obstetrics & Gynecology Science
• Published: 2013;56(2):126-9
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 7 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Multicystic benign mesothelioma (MBM) of the peritoneum is a very rare condition. Since the first description of MBM in 1979, approximately 100 cases have been reported. This is a case report of MBM of the pelvic peritoneum presenting as acute abdominal pain in a young woman. Laparoscopy confirmed multiple grapelike clusters of cysts that originated in the peritoneum of the rectouterine pouch and histopathologic diagnosis was confirmed as MBM of the pelvic peritoneum. We hope to alert gynaecologists of the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to MBM which can be accomplished by laparoscopy.

In plain English

This article was a case report from Soonchunhyang University hospitals in Korea about one patient with multicystic benign mesothelioma (MBM) of the pelvic peritoneum, a rare condition of the lining of the abdomen. The patient was a 28-year-old woman who had almost 7 months of worsening lower abdominal pain. Ultrasound and CT scans showed a 10 × 7 cm mass made of many cysts in the space behind the uterus. During laparoscopy, the surgeons saw grapelike clusters of cysts in that space. The cysts were then removed through an open operation (laparotomy), together with part of the peritoneum and part of the omentum. Laboratory examination of the removed tissue was consistent with MBM. At 3-month follow-up she was well, with no clinical sign of the disease returning. The article did not describe any asbestos exposure for this patient. Citing earlier work, the authors wrote that MBM is generally not associated with asbestos exposure. The authors wrote that laparoscopy allowed both diagnosis and treatment in this case. Because recurrence is relatively frequent and malignant change is possible, they recommended close follow-up of affected patients.

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 28-year-old woman (gravida 2, para 0, abortion 2) with nearly 7 months of progressive lower abdominal pain, treated at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Korea
• Exposure: No asbestos exposure is described for this patient. In the discussion, citing earlier work, the authors wrote that MBM in general has no association with asbestos exposure.
• Main results:
  • Ultrasonography and CT of the pelvis showed a 10 × 7 cm multicystic mass with irregular borders in the rectouterine pouch
  • At laparoscopy, multiple grapelike clusters of cysts were seen in the rectouterine pouch
  • Frozen-section examination during surgery suggested serous-type benign cysts
  • The cysts were excised via laparotomy, with resection of the rectouterine pouch peritoneum and partial greater omentectomy
  • The removed cysts measured up to 2 cm
  • The cells lining the cysts were positive for Pan-CK, calretinin, D2-40 and CK5/6 and negative for CD34
  • Histology of the excised specimens was consistent with MBM of the pelvic peritoneum
  • The patient was well at 3-month follow-up with no clinical evidence of recurrence
  • The authors stated that in this case the laparoscopic approach enabled both histologic diagnosis and surgical treatment
• The authors' conclusion: The authors recommended close clinical follow-up of affected patients because of the relatively high frequency of recurrence and possible malignant transition. They also wished to alert gynecologists that diagnosis and treatment of MBM can be accomplished by laparoscopy.

Topics

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

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• Multicystic benign cystic mesothelioma presenting as a pelvic mass — M. Momeni, E. Pereira, et al. (2014)
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