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Localized Intrasplenic Mesothelioma: A Case Report
Michele Giansanti1, Guido Bellezza2, Angela Guerriero1
1Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Medical School, University of Perugia, Italy.
International Journal of Surgical Pathology
|September 21, 2013
Summary
This report details the first documented case of localized epithelioid malignant mesothelioma within the spleen. This rare cancer finding highlights the spleen as a potential site for mesothelial neoplasms.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Malignant mesothelioma typically affects serosal membranes, often presenting diffusely.
- While pleural mesothelioma is most common, rarer sites include peritoneum and pericardium.
- Intraparenchymal mesotheliomas in organs like the liver, gonads, lung, and pancreas are exceptionally rare.
Observation:
- A 48-year-old man without asbestos exposure presented with an incidental 3 cm splenic nodule.
- Diagnostic imaging revealed a distinct mass within the spleen.
- Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on the splenic nodule.
Findings:
- The splenic nodule exhibited features of epithelioid mesothelioma.
- Cells were large, round, with dense eosinophilic cytoplasm and prominent nucleoli.
- Immunohistochemistry confirmed mesothelial differentiation with positivity for pancytokeratins, calretinin, and Wilms tumor-1.
Implications:
- This case establishes the spleen as a potential, albeit rare, site for localized malignant mesothelioma.
- The findings expand the known spectrum of mesothelioma presentation and localization.
- This report is the first indexed literature case of intrasplenic malignant mesothelioma.
