title: Malignant pleural mesothelioma presenting with a spontaneous hydropneumothorax: a report of 2 cases.
abstract: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) originates in the mesothelial cells that line the pleural cavities. Most patients initially experience the insidious onset of chest pain or shortness of breath and have a history of asbestos exposure. It rarely presents as spontaneous pneumothorax. We report here two cases where malignant pleural mesothelioma presented with a spontaneous hydropneumothorax and was only discovered following surgery. We emphasise the need for a chest CT-scan preoperatively in older patients presenting with a secondary pneumo/hydropneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Department, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: H Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fontaine
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elsayed
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D006872:Hydropneumothorax / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000150:complications*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*