Acute severe abdominal pain in a young woman caused by a well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the peritoneum

Abstract

Acute abdominal pain is a common symptom in young women. We describe a patient with acute illness and severe lower abdominal pain. Laboratory tests were normal except for mildly deranged inflammatory markers. No abnormalities were reported on abdominal ultrasonography and MRI, whereas diagnostic laparoscopy revealed a tumour located dorsally from the uterus. We resected the tumour and pathology results showed a well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the peritoneum (WDPMP). Microscopy showed evidence of acute ischaemia in the resected lesion, which was likely the cause of the acute abdominal pain. WDPMP is a rare disease that arises from the serous membranes which does not seem to have a relation to asbestos exposure. Generally, WDPMP has a mild clinical course and good long-term prognosis.

Keywords: gastrointestinal surgery; pathology; surgery.