Peritoneal mesotheliomas.

Eight cases of peritoneal mesothelioma have been seen at the University of Missouri Medical Center and affiliated hospitals since 1940. The incidence for our patient population is 0.24 cases per 100,000 patients. The nonspecific symptoms, physical findings, x-rays, and laboratory results usually preclude an early establishment of the diagnosis. The diagnosis was eventually established at laparotomy in seven cases and at autopsy in one. Only the benign mesothelioma was resectable; that patient is doing well 10 months after operation. The survival interval of the patients with malignant peritoneal mesotheliomas averaged 3 months, with the two patients who received chemotherapy surviving 3 and 6 months, respectively.