title: Benign Cystic Mesothelioma in a Child: Case Report and Review of the Literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Benign cystic mesothelioma (BCM) is a rare tumor with benign characteristic. There are only 8 child cases reported in the English literature. In this report, we present this rare entity a brief review of the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two year-old boy presenting with abdominal swelling was hospitalized. Physical examination revealed a mass filling the abdomen. Laboratory findings were not specific. Abdominal computerized tomography showed a 15×13×11 cm cystic mass extending from the bladder to the liver with no solid components and no infiltration to adjacent organs. Operation revealed a cystic mass filled with yellow-green serous fluid which was attached to the right lobe of the liver with a 1 cm thick peduncle. Total excision of the mass was performed by clamping and cutting the narrow attachment. Recovery was uneventful. Pathology revealed multiple cysts lined with mesothelial cells. No recurrence was seen after 5 years of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BCM should be kept in mind as a rare cause of the abdominal mass in children, as it may lead to confusion in preoperative diagnosis. Although rare, patients should be followed throughout life because of the risk of recurrence and malignant degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Yüksekova State Hospital, Hakkari, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Şifa University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Narcı
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma Hüsniye
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Dilek
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Afyon Kocatepe University School of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Didem Baskın
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Embleton
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Afyon Kocatepe University School of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Çetinkurşun
keywords: Child; cysts; liver; mesothelioma; pediatric tumor