Localized Mesothelioma of the Pleura: Report of 2 Cases, From Benign to Malignant

Abstract

Abstract Localized mesotheliomas of the pleura are rare, and form a spectrum of low-grade noninvasive indolent lesions that are presumably benign, to more aggressive invasive cancers that, although fully malignant, have a relatively better prognosis than the diffuse type of mesothelioma. Localized mesotheliomas can be either epithelioid, sarcomatoid, or biphasic. The defining characteristics are circumscription and origin from the visceral pleura. The vast majority are single lesions, although multifocal ones, as the second case in this report, have rarely been described. We present a “benign” localized epithelioid mesothelioma and a malignant localized sarcomatoid mesothelioma with multiple satellite nodules.