[Diagnosis and therapy of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma]

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is an uncommon tumor with great diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Symptoms, clinical features and course of the disease are described in three patients which were seen at our hospital within the last years. At the beginning there are often severe weight loss, malaise and sometimes fever of unknown origin. Abdominal pain, increased abdominal girth or nausea indicate advanced tumor stages in most cases. Ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen can give important information during the diagnostic approach. Nevertheless, the definite diagnosis can only be established by laparoscopy or open surgery with biopsy for a histological examination. Despite intern and extern radiotherapy as well as systemic and/or local chemotherapy the prognosis of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma remains unfavourable. Mean survival time ranges from six to 18 months.