[Malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum]

An observation of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in a man of 61 is presented. The clinical signs included fatigue, loss of weight, enlarged abdomen. The duration of the disease was 8 months. The autopsy revealed a whitish tumor of the peritoneum of cartilage density with numerous nodules 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter. The tumor overgrew the liver, spleen, pancreatic gland, stomach, and intestinal loops forming a single conglomerate. In the peritoneal cavity there were 4000 ml of transparent yellowish fluid. The visceral and parietal pleura on the left was thicker and covered with small whitish nodules. Histological examinations showed the peritoneum to be thickened, sclerosed and hyalinized. In the thickness of the fibrous stroma there were numerous slits lined with mesothelial cells. There were metastases in regional lymph nodes. The tumor had the structure of a malignant mesothelioma of the epithelial-like variant.