A CASE REPORT OF PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA - A RARE VARIANT

Introduction Primary Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a rare entity with an incidence of about 1-2 cases per million. It can occur in any age group, although the 50 to 69 year age group is the most affected. It is an unusual neoplasm in the sense that it demonstrates a wide spectrum of biological aggressiveness. The incidence has increased in the past two decades. Only 20 to 33 of all mesotheliomas arise from the peritoneum itself, the pleura are the most common site of origin. Here we present a rare case of primary peritoneal mesothelioma multicystic variant.Case presentation We report a case of middle aged gentleman who presented to our hospital with abdominal distension and pain. He had been having these complaints for two months and was variously diagnosed as hydatidosis, peritoneal secondaries etc. On examination he was found to have multiple abdominal hard lesions .Investigations clinched the diagnosis of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma .He was started on chemotherapy and has shown symptomatic response Conclusion Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare fatal disorder but recent advances in chemotherapy have altered its prognosis. High index of suspicion is essential as histopathology alone helps in the diagnosis and early initiation of treatment is crucial for survival