Mesotelioma maligno: Experiencia clínico-patológica de 247 casos

Abstract

Objective: This study describes the frequency, occupational, clinical, and pathological features in a large cohort of cases of Malignant Mesothelioma (MM) from the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), in México. Methods: A retrospective and transversal study was carried out in medical records of patients diagnosed with MM between the years 1991 to 2007. Results: Of the 247 patients, 184 were male and 63 were female with an average age of 51-60 years. Dyspnea and chest pain were the presenting symptoms in most of the patients. Exposure to asbestos was referred only in 34% of cases but direct exposition only was documented in five of them. Clinical features of MM patients were similar in asbestos related and non-asbestos related malignant mesothelioma. Conclusion: Although a growing tendency is observed in, the number of cases with MM, in many of them was not possible to establish the source of asbestos exposure.