Abstract
We report a case of a 68-year-old man with medical history of pleural asbestosis and diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. This neoplasm is rare, has a poor prognosis, and is associated with asbestosis in many cases. It manifests clinically insidiously and in relation to the intra-abdominal locoregional effect. Radiological findings are variable, although the finding of “omental cake” by CT scan is characteristic but not pathognomonic, as seen in our case. A biopsy is required for the diagnosis, which can be guided by radiology or surgery. Treatment options available are cytoreductive surgery with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy or systemic chemotherapy. However, new therapeutic options are emerging, which are still under development and research.
Highlights
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplasm that accounts for 10%-15% of all mesothelioma cases and it is associated up to 50% of the time with asbestosis
We introduce a case of a 68-year-old man, with medical history of being ex-smoker and having pleural asbestosis (Figure 1), who was a shipyard worker exposed to asbestos for 16 years with last exposure about 25 years ago
MPM is an entity to consider in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain, especially if there is a medical record of asbestosis, as is the most common carcinogen identified for mesothelioma
Summary
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplasm that accounts for 10%-15% of all mesothelioma cases and it is associated up to 50% of the time with asbestosis It usually presents without differences in terms of sex, with a mean age of 64 years and related to the intra-abdominal locoregional effect, insidiously in the form of abdominal pain or distension [1,2,3,4]. We introduce a case of a 68-year-old man, with medical history of being ex-smoker and having pleural asbestosis (Figure 1), who was a shipyard worker exposed to asbestos for 16 years with last exposure about 25 years ago He sought care in our digestive department due to abdominal pain, especially periumbilical, which was affecting his quality of life, and constipation (fewer than three stools per week and small feces, without pathological products) for six months. At one-year follow-up, he is still in good clinical condition
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