[Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Case report and review of the literature]

A woman 88 years old with a clinical picture initiated eight days before characterized by asthenia, adynamia, hyporexia, increase of the abdominal perimeter, pain and constipation. Her husband worked at the automotive industry for more than 30 years (brakes specialist). She had a history of hypertension; abdominal ultrasound showed a metastatic liver of unknown origin and ascites. An ascites sample was gotten. Malignant cells matching with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma were observed. The patient died 30 days after the diagnosis. The peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that can be benign or malignant. Incidence rate increases with age. It is more frequent in men and over 60 years with a survival from five to twelve months after diagnosis. The most important risk factor is the chronic labor exposition to asbestos that includes the family. The diagnosis is difficult even for experts. Additionally, we present a brief review of the literature.