Malignant mesothelioma: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre experience

Ten cases of malignant mesothelioma were diagnosed and treated at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre over a ten year period from 1977 to 1987. Seven of these cases were referred from the Southern Province and were clustered in the Al-Baha and Najran districts. In only one case (a plumber from Taif) was there the likelihood of occupation exposure. None of the patients had interstitial changes or pleura plaques on chest x-ray. Epidemiological studies are warranted to establish the etiology of mesothelioma in the Southern region of Saudi Arabia.