Cystic Mesothelioma

Cystic Mesothelioma

Cystic mesothelioma is also known as benign cystic mesothelioma and is described as being an uncommon mesothelial proliferation that has a particularly nagging tendency to reoccur.

Even with their tendency towards reoccurrence, the lesions are in fact benign. These lesions most commonly occur in women, with a predilection towards those who are of the age for reproduction. The ratio of cystic mesothelioma occurrence is around 5 women for every 1 man.

Currently, the pathogenesis and natural history for the condition of mesothelioma are as of yet defined poorly due to there being only a limited amount if info available at this time. Most of the patients who receive a diagnosis of cystic mesothelioma have a history that includes pelvic operation, endometriosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease.

A large number of patients who have cystic mesothelioma are also asymptomatic, which means that they have no occurrence of symptoms that would reveal the existence of one or many lesions. More than likely, these tumors will be found incidentally. Dependant upon the size of the cystic mesothelioma tumor, symptoms of a varying intensity can still occur. Classic symptoms or signs of cystic mesothelioma will include abdominal pain and tenderness, as well as a mass in the abdomen or pelvic areas of the body.

For cystic mesothelioma, the preoperative diagnosis can be and often is difficult to ascertain. Diagnostic procedures like computed tomography (CT scan), ultrasound, or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) have the capability to demonstrate that there is an abnormality present that could prove to be cystic mesothelioma, but the only reliable means to confirm a diagnosis is through surgery.

The lesions that are created by cystic mesothelioma are generally considered borderline due to the fact that they are incapable of metastasizing. Regardless, it is most important to know that the associated lesions from cystic mesothelioma generally have a high likelihood of locally based recurrence.

This is still a largely misunderstood cancer, especially as preoperative diagnosis is problematic because CT scans and ultrasounds are incapable of differentiating between cystic mesothelioma and other types of cystic lesions. One diagnostic tool being potentially considered is fine needle aspiration but due to its not being informative enough, it is generally not exploited as a primary diagnostic tool for cystic mesothelioma.

Laparoscopy is the most accurate diagnostic method at this time, as local biopsy is made possible for the tissue specimen in question. The problem with this is that this procedure is invasive in nature.

Yet another associated problem common to cystic mesothelioma is the fact that no uniform treatment strategies exist for this particular type of cancer. The mainstay of the treatment options for mesothelioma of all types is the complete eradication of any and all peritoneal cysts, however recurrence is always still going to be a risk factor. The risk of recurrence of the tumors sits at between 50 and 60 percent, which is relatively common as far as cancers associated with mesothelioma are concerned. This is still a relatively rare form of tumor as there is only a relatively small occurrence of reported cases reported every single year.

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