Pathologic Characterization and Differential Diagnosis of Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Abstract

Mesotheliomas are characterized by their ability to exhibit a broad range of cytomorphological features and to grow in a wide variety of histological patterns. Based on their appearance, three major histological types of mesotheliomas are recognized: epithelioid, mixed epithelioid and sarcomatoid (biphasic), and sarcomatoid. Although the distribution of these histological types varies from series to series, epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common. Of the 157 cases included in the two largest series of peritoneal malignant mesotheliomas, 132 (84%) were epithelioid, 22 (14%) biphasic, and 3 (2%) sarcomatoid (Baker et al. 2005; Kannerstein and Churg. 1977). The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the morphological variants of mesothelioma and to review the roles of immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy in the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma. Particular emphasis is placed on the uncommon morphological variants of mesothelioma, some of which have only recently been described, as well as on the immunohistochemical markers that have most recently become available and for which there is evidence that they could be useful in the diagnosis of mesothelioma.KeywordsRenal Cell CarcinomaSerous CarcinomaPeritoneal MesotheliomaMalignant Peritoneal MesotheliomaPathologic CharacterizationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.