Peritoneal mesothelioma as an incidental finding during inguinal hernia surgery

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare tumor disease, usually associated with asbestos exposure, which is often only diagnosed at an advanced stage. We report the case of a 52-year-old patient who was found to have marked ascites during surgery for a recurrent inguinal hernia. Subsequent diagnostics, including diagnostic laparoscopy, established the diagnosis of malignant epithelioid peritoneal mesothelioma. After tumor reduction by omentum resection and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, a complete remission was achieved. The case underlines the importance of differentiated clarification of unclear intra-abdominal findings in high-risk patients with possible asbestos exposure.