Giant benign cystic mesothelioma:: a case report and review of literature

A 28-year-old man was admitted because of weight loss and a huge abdominal mass. The abdominal cavity was filled by a large number of cysts with a maximum diameter of 10 cm as diagnosed by ultrasound and computed tomography. Laparotomy was performed and a 33 kg cystic tumour originating from the peritoneum was resected en bloc. Histopathological work-up showed multiple cysts covered by cubic or flat mesothelial cells with uniform nuclei. The final diagnosis was benign cystic mesothelioma. Twenty-three months after surgical debulking, a follow-up computed tomography scan showed recurrence of the disease. In this report, we describe the characteristics, aetiology and differential diagnosis of this rare lesion. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 14:77-80 (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.