Malignant Mesothelioma Facts
Mesothelioma is a very rare type of cancer in which cancer cells invade the mesothelium, the protective cover that covers most internal organs.
The mesothelium is composed of two layers of cells: one layer is in contact with the organ, while the second forms a bag around. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that allows both layers to slide over each other allowing the movements of the body covering (eg, lungs). Depending on your location, given a particular name mesothelium, which surrounds the lungs is called pleura, which surrounds the heart called the pericardium, which surrounds the testicles is called the tunica vaginalis testis and around the uterus is called uterine serous tunic. Most of the abdominal organs are covered by peritoneum.
PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA
Pleural mesothelioma is the most frequent, with an incidence 9 times higher than the peritoneal mesothelioma. It is more common in men than in women, with age of onset of symptoms between 50 to 70 years with a latency period of 20 to 40 years. In 80% of cases the etiology is exposure to asbestos dust. Other possible causes of mesothelioma are radiation and polio vaccines contaminated with simian virus SV40. Pleural mesothelioma is approximately 3% of malignant neoplasms of the pleura, and when the diagnosis is fast course and invariably fatal, usually within the next two years.
The most common clinical presentation is vague chest pain, which occasionally can be pleuritic or radiating to the shoulder accompanied by pleural effusions. Dyspnea, cough, weakness, malaise and fatigue usually appear in later stages of the disease. In 89% of cases, the electrocardiogram is abnormal most frequent abnormalities being sinus tachycardia (42%), ventricular arrhythmias or headphones (17%) and blockage of a bundle branch (30%)
The most common radiographic finding is an irregular opacity in the periphery of the lung, associated with ipsilateral pleural effusion, with evidence of volume loss, contraction of the hemithorax involved and absence of mediastinal shift to the opposite side, despite significant pleural effusions (see reference chart) The diagnosis should be suspected when pleural thickening is surrounding the lung trapping and fixing the mediastinum.
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