Features of Diagnosis of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Abstract

The publication provides an overview of the literature devoted to modern methods of diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The analysis of medical records of 14 MPM patients who were treated in the Amur regional clinical hospital in 2009-2014 was done. One case is dealt with in detail. Difficulties in diagnosing MPM happen due to the following factors: the early symptoms of this tumor are not specific, and patients often seek help in the advanced stages; the difficulty of differentiation between benign diseases of the pleura and metastasis of other tumors in the pleura; not full availability of computed tomography (CT) and a VATS biopsy; insufficient awareness of primary care physicians about the features of MPM course. To improve the diagnosis of MPM it is recommended to perform CT of the chest as the primary method of diagnosis in individuals of 50 years old, especially in those exposed to asbestos in the past.