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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Generation and Expansion of Primary, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Tumor Lines
Published on: April 21, 2022
[Pleural mesothelioma in a Mexican population: clinical and radiological similarities among histopathologic patterns]
Carlos Pérez-Guzmán1, Mario H Vargas, Luis Torre-Bouscoulet
1Instituto de Salud del Estado de Aguascalientes, Unidad Médica de Atención Ambulatoria, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Aguascalientes, México. perezg6@aol.com
Objective:
To describe clinical and radiological features of patients with pleural mesothelioma, according to main histological types.
Methods:
Clinical records of inpatients admitted with diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma to the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias in the last 11 years, were reviewed.
Results:
We analyzed 85 cases confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The most frequent histological type was epithelial (84.7 %), followed by sarcomatous (12.9 %) and mixed (2.4 %) types. Comparison between epithelial and sarcomatous types showed no differences in age (53.7 +/- 13.1 vs. 55.9 +/- 11.0 years, respectively), male : female ratio (2.3 : 1 vs. 1.8 : 1), history of asbestos exposure (34.7 vs. 27.2 %), tobacco habit (54.2 vs 45.4 %), occupation, evolution time (4.8 +/- 3.3 vs. 4.4 +/- 3.7 months), pain, dyspnea and cough, right-side predominance (55.6 vs. 81.8 %), radiological image with pleural effusion (59.7 vs. 36.4 %) or pleural thickening (38.9 vs. 63.6 %), and diagnostic efficiency of closed pleural biopsy (58.3 vs. 27.2 %).
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that clinical and radiological features of epithelial and sarcomatous histological types are very similar. Additionally, we found a high frequency of epithelial mesothelioma, which contrasts with findings from other countries, suggesting that the type of asbestos or other factors involved in the development of pleural mesothelioma differ from those existing in other regions of the world.
Insights
Clinical and radiological features of pleural mesothelioma subtypes are similar. Epithelial mesothelioma is common in this study, suggesting unique regional factors may influence asbestos-related cancer development.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- Pleural mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive cancer.
- Histological subtypes may influence clinical presentation and prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe clinical and radiological features of pleural mesothelioma.
- To compare features between epithelial and sarcomatous histological types.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 85 inpatient cases diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma.
- Analysis of clinical records and radiological findings.
- Immunohistochemistry confirmation of histological type.
Main Results:
- Epithelial mesothelioma was the most frequent type (84.7%).
- No significant differences were observed in age, sex, asbestos exposure, symptoms, or evolution time between epithelial and sarcomatous types.
- Radiological findings like pleural effusion and thickening showed variations between types, with differing diagnostic yields for closed pleural biopsy.
Conclusions:
- Clinical and radiological features of epithelial and sarcomatous pleural mesothelioma are largely similar.
- The high incidence of epithelial mesothelioma in this cohort suggests unique etiological factors or asbestos types may be involved compared to other global regions.
