Pleural mesothelioma. Review of 3 cases and role of thoracoscopy

: Pleural mesotheliomas are uncommon tumors that can be classified as localized fibrous or diffuse malignant. The frequency in the general population is low and, as it concern the diffuse malignant type, exposure to asbestos, significantly increases the incidence. The most common symptoms are chest pain, short of breath and cough and the roentgenological findings are solitary or multiple pleural nodular lesions. The fibrous type can be excised and recurrence rarely occurs, but the malignant type does not respond either to chemotherapy or to radiotherapy and surgical measures offer only palliation. Thoracoscopy is a possibility of surgical excision in a case of localized mesothelioma and in case of diffuse type it contributes to the diagnostic yield, the open surgical procedures to be considered only in functionally operable patients.