Revisiting localized malignant mesothelioma

Malignant Mesothelioma is an uncommon tumor that usually presents with diffuse pleural involvement and carries a dismal prognosis. Rarely, however, it can present as a localized, circumscribed mass or focal pleural lesion without evidence of diffuse spread. We found four such cases in our database. Three patients had localized epithelioid malignant mesothelioma and one had localized sarcomatoid mesothelioma. These localized tumors are a potential diagnostic pitfall for the pathologists as well as radiologists, especially those practicing in a community setting. Herein we discuss the clinicopathologic features of our cases along with a review of literature.