Epithelioid malignant mesothelioma metastatic to the skin: A case report and review of the literature

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive and invasive neoplasm primarily affecting the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. While mesothelioma commonly metastasizes to visceral organs, it has rarely been documented to involve the skin and subcutaneous tissue. There is a paucity of reports of cuta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cutaneous pathology 2017-12, Vol.44 (12), p.1057-1063
Main Authors: Ward, Rachel Elizabeth, Ali, Stefanie Ann, Kuhar, Matthew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma - pathology
Adenocarcinoma - secondary
Adult
Aged
Case reports
cutaneous
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
histopathology
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Invasiveness
Literature reviews
Lung Neoplasms - immunology
Lung Neoplasms - pathology
Lung Neoplasms - secondary
Male
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma - immunology
Mesothelioma - pathology
Mesothelioma - secondary
Mesothelioma, Malignant
Metastases
Metastasis
Middle Aged
Neoplasia
Nodules
Pericardium
Peritoneum
Pleura
Reviews
Skin
Skin - pathology
Skin Neoplasms - immunology
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
Skin Neoplasms - secondary
Subcutaneous Tissue - pathology
Tumors
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Items that cite this one
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Description
Summary:Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive and invasive neoplasm primarily affecting the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. While mesothelioma commonly metastasizes to visceral organs, it has rarely been documented to involve the skin and subcutaneous tissue. There is a paucity of reports of cutaneous metastatic mesothelioma, and histologic examination is often challenging because the tumor closely mimics other primary and metastatic neoplasms. We report a case of a 75‐year‐old man presenting with a firm, hard nodule on his upper back, which on initial histologic evaluation resembled metastatic adenocarcinoma. However, upon review of his medical history and immunohistochemical evaluation of the lesion, the diagnosis of epithelioid MM metastatic to the skin was rendered. The purpose of this case report and review of the literature is to summarize the most effective available immunostains to aid in the diagnosis of this challenging entity, highlight the histologic similarities between metastatic epithelioid MM and other primary and metastatic neoplasms of the skin, and provide prognostic information for these rare tumors.
ISSN:0303-6987
1600-0560
DOI:10.1111/cup.13026