Clinical Analysis Of 31 Cases With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical rule and advance in the pathogeny,diagnoses and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted in 31 cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma hospitalized from 1996 to 2006 ,whose clinical data was analysed including sex,age,clinical manifestations ,imaging examinations ,diagnoses and treatment.Results(1) Of all the 31 cases, 15 cases were male, 16 cases were female, Male: female= 1:1; the age of patients were from 28 to 82, and the expective of live were 54. All the cases had no evident history of exposure to asbestos. (2)The clinical manifestation were mainly chest pain , chest depressed , cough ,dyspnea and pleural effusion. 14 cases had pleural effusion under X-ray and pleural anomaly thickening or nodules were found in 26 cases on CT examination. Of all the diagnosed cases, 18 cases were diagnosed via biopsy of pleura and cytologic examination in pieural effusion.(3)Most cases were only treated with operation , radio- therapy and chemotherapy while 3 cases were treated with combined therapy.ConclusionThe patient with progressive chest pain ,cough and dyspnea,who also has pleural effusion ,pleural thickening or nodules on X-ray or CT examination should pay attention to the fact that maybe he has had pleural mesothelioma. Biopsy of pleura and cytologic examination in pieural effusion are the most important diagnoses measure.To malignant pleural mesothelioma,combined therapy is better than single means.