[Peritoneal mesothelioma. A case report].

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm (annual incidence: 1-2 cases per million in the general population) and forms about 10% of all mesotheliomas. The authors report a case of malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a male, 61 years old. After laparotomy the patient was treated with intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin (40 mg/m2 day 1-2-3-29-30-31) and intravenous administration of mitomycin C (10 mg/m2 day 1). The renal toxicity was avoided with the GSH and with prehydration before and after administration of the cisplatin. The bone marrow toxicity was avoided with the subcutaneous administration of G-CSF (300 mg three times each week) and erythropoietin (10.000 U three times a week). After the first cycle, with the reduction of the ascites, the cisplatin was administered intravenously too. After six cycles of chemotherapy (18 months after laparotomy) the patient is alive and he has a performance status of 1 (ECOG/WHO). The chemotherapy with cisplatin and mitomycin C must be preferred to the anthracycline in all the patient with cardiologic involvement. The cisplatin administered by intracavitary route give a quick response with less systemic toxicity. A review of the literature confirms the rarity of this pathology, linked epidemiologically with exposure to asbestos, and the difficulty of the preoperative diagnosis: in fact cytologic assay and ultrasonographic and TC scan always don't permit to discover a mesothelioma. The laparotomy and the laparoscopy are useful in the P.M. for the possibility of the biopsies and the apposition of the catheters for intracavitary therapy. The response of peritoneal mesothelioma to treatment is poor. The median survival after the appearance of the symptom is less than 18 months.