title: A case of diffuse pleural mesothelioma in which contralateral exploratory thoracoscopy assisted the selection of therapy.
abstract: Diffuse pleural mesothelioma is a rare condition with a poor prognosis. Recent reports have indicated that extensive surgery combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy prolongs the survival of selected patients with early disease. Thoracoscopy allows complete visualization of the pleural cavity and provides high-quality biopsy samples. We present a case of successful diagnosis of bilateral pleural mesothelioma by thoracoscopy. It is important to observe the contralateral pleural cavity by thoracoscopy to confirm the presence or absence of a tumor before considering extrapleural pneumonectomy for mesothelioma.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Futagawa
authors.forename: Tumin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonobe
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izumi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine