Diagnosis and prognosis of malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the diagnosis and prognosis of malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis through an additional 6 patients with urogenital mesothelioma. Methods: Six patients with urogenital mesothelioma who underwent adequate surgical procedures and histopathologic analysis from 1990 to 2009 were identified and retrospectively reviewed. Results: Six patients between the ages of 26 and 78 years with urogenital mesothelioma, 5 of which originated in the scrotum and 1 in the spermatic cord. Histopathologic analysis showed that CK5/6 and calretinin were positive in all cases, 5 cases were positive for vimentin, and 1 case showed focal weak positive reaction with MOC3, but none of the cases stained for CEA or CD15. The overall recurrence rate of urogenital mesothelioma after surgery was 5/6, including local recurrences and fatalities due to tumour. Conclusions: In cases of mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis, the histopathologic markers we chose helped confirm the histopathological diagnosis; adequate surgical procedures are typically not curative, and this tumour is often fatal.