title: Benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a 12-year-old boy, diagnosed via telepathology.
abstract: Low resource countries often have inadequate healthcare systems that, among other problems, suffer from a severe shortage of local expertise. In fields such as pathology, however, where diagnoses are mainly based on macroscopic and histological images, telemedicine can provide an opportunity to supplement the local capabilities by involving a world-wide network of experts. For this, the local pathologist can upload images to an online platform and then consult with international colleagues via teleconferencing, which can be particularly useful in rare or difficult cases. We present the case of a 12-year-old Afghan boy with benign cystic mesothelioma, an extremely rare benign tumour. Using the online platform IPath, we were able to diagnose the eighth reported case of this rare condition in a child, in collaboration with our colleagues in Afghanistan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Health Care Center, Lukaskrankenhaus Neuss, Neuss, Germany.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hinsch
authors.affiliation: Tibi Balkh Histopathology Lab, Mazar-i-Sharif, Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.
authors.forename: Rokai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rauofi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology Aurich, Aurich, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stauch
mesh_terms: D000346:Afghanistan; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D018261:Mesothelioma, Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000473:pathology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D019113:Telepathology