title: Recognition of histopathologic patterns of diffuse malignant mesothelioma in differential diagnosis of pleural biopsies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diffuse malignant mesothelioma is generally divided into 3 basic histologic types--epithelial, biphasic, or sarcomatous. However, a great diversity of histologic patterns exists within these 3 basic histologic types.
  
  
  METHODS
  The diverse histologic patterns of diffuse malignant mesothelioma are briefly described, including infrequently encountered patterns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The histologic patterns of diffuse malignant mesothelioma provide a wide variation of features for the pathologist to consider in the differential diagnosis of a pleural biopsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pathologists should be aware of the varied histologic patterns of diffuse malignant mesothelioma when evaluating pleural biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Health Center, Tyler, TX 75708, USA. timothy.allen@uthct.edu
authors.forename: Timothy Craig
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D018198:Mixed Tumor, Malignant / Q000473:pathology; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology