Giant malignant mesothelioma in the upper mediastinum: A case report

Malignant mesothelioma in the mediastinum is rare and the majority of known cases have been reported as 'localized mesothelioma'. The present study reports a case of an upper mediastinal tumor, which was diagnosed through thoracoscopic surgery and surgical biopsies of the mass. A computed tomography scan revealed a giant upper mediastinal tumor, adjacent to the aortic arch, trachea, superior vena cava and left pulmonary artery. The vessels in the mediastinum were compressed and were shifted to the lower right. The trachea became stenotic and a small amount of bilateral pleural effusion was observed. The mass was relatively well encapsulated. There was no pleural thickening or clearly swollen lymph nodes in the mediastinum. The histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations of the tumor verified the diagnosis of a malignant mesothelioma. The tumor was demonstrated to be derived from the mediastinal pleural mesothelium cells. The patient received pemetrexed disodium and cisplatin combination chemotherapy for four cycles. At present, the patient is undergoing follow-up.