Peritoneal mesothelioma in an insulation worker exposed to asbestos

Abstract

This report refers to a case of peritoneal mesothelioma arising in an insulation worker. The latency time, i.e. the period elapsing between the start of exposure and the onset of the early symptoms and signs of the neoplasia, was 52 years. This is the first case of a series of 7 cases which underwent to our observation through the Surgery Unit of the Bentivoglio Hospital, Bologna, Italy, where they were treated with cytoreductive surgery and intraoperative chemohyperthermia (HIPEC). Scanning electron microscopy photographs of the neoplastic tissue confirm the correlation of the neoplasia with the exposure to asbestos, through the observation of spheric and fibrous matter in the neoplasia, probably chrysotile.