Melero M, Lloveras J, Waisman H, Elsner B, Baldessari E
Departamento de Medicina, Hospital de Clinicas José de San Martin, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Medicina (B Aires). 1995;55(1):48-50.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare neoplasia usually associated with exposure to asbestos. The incidence in the population not in contact with asbestos is of one per million per year. The disease is most common in males over the age of 40, with signs and symptoms of neoplasic disease together with abdominal pain and ascitis with or without a palpable abdominal mass. We report the case of a young male without a history of exposure to asbestos who presented with prolonged fever, leukocytosis and a septated peritoneal exudate. With a presumptive diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis, the patient received empirical antituberculosis treatment. Because the clinical picture persisted and microbiological studies remained negative, a second exploratory laparotomy was performed which demonstrated the presence of a malignant epithelial peritoneal mesothelioma.
腹膜间皮瘤是一种罕见的肿瘤，通常与接触石棉有关。在未接触石棉的人群中，发病率为每年百万分之一。该疾病在40岁以上男性中最为常见，具有肿瘤疾病的体征和症状，伴有腹痛和腹水，可触及或未触及腹部肿块。我们报告一例无石棉接触史的年轻男性病例，该患者出现长期发热、白细胞增多和分隔性腹膜渗出液。初步诊断为腹膜结核，患者接受了经验性抗结核治疗。由于临床症状持续存在且微生物学检查结果仍为阴性，遂进行了第二次剖腹探查术，结果显示存在恶性上皮性腹膜间皮瘤。
