11 cases of malignant mesothelioma (0.153%) were among 7184 autopsies in Tambov Bureau of Pathology from 1978 to 1987. There were 4 cases of pleural mesothelioma (0.055%), 5 cases of pericardial mesothelioma (0.069%), one case of peritoneal mesothelioma and one case of a simultaneous involvement of the peritoneum, pleura and pericardium. Two cases of malignant epithelioid mesothelioma of the pericardium are described, which characterized by a diffuse growth along both surfaces of the pericardium with the accumulation in its cavity of two litres of hemorrhagic liquid. In the case of a 50-year-old man who had a contact with asbestos the tumour grew into the coronary artery resulting in clinical symptoms and morphology of the myocardial infarction. Metastases were found in the anterior mediastinal lymph nodes only. In the second case-that of a 48-year-old women--there were metastases in the regional lymph nodes, pleura, the lung and liver.
