Sarcomatoid malignant peritoneal mesothelioma presenting as a localized mesenteric tumor with no previous asbestos exposure

Sarcomatoid malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is the rarest and most lethal form of peritoneal mesothelioma. We present the case of a sarcomatoid malignant peritoneal mesothelioma presenting as a localized mesenteric tumor in a 54-year-old female with no previous asbestos exposure. This clinical presentation is extremely rare and is the first documented in Cameroon.

Prognostic CT findings of malignant bowel obstruction in patients with advanced ovarian cancer

Objective: To evaluate computed tomography (CT) findings able to predict outcome in patients with ovarian cancer (OC) and concomitant bowel occlusion. Methods: This institutional review board–approved retrospective study included 31 patients with OC and clinical evidence of bowel occlusion who underwent CT at presentation between February 2013 and June 2015. Two radiologists recorded various qualitative CT features. Correlations between CT and survival data were made with Mann-Whitney test, Wilcoxon test, and χ2 test, as appropriate. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for statistically significant CT findings using logistic regression model. Results: Two of 31 patients (6.5%) were alive at the end of this study; 29 patients (93.5%) died of disease. Median overall survival was 90 days. CT features associated with short life expectancy were bowel mural thinning ( p=0.03), mesenteric tumor deposits ( p=0.009), mesenteric infiltration ( p=0.02), and ascites ( p=0.04). Area under the curve was 0.728 ( p=0.03) for mesenteric tumor deposits in predicting malignant bowel obstruction. Conclusions: Accurate interpretation of CT features may guide decisions in care of women with OC and bowel obstruction.

Mesenteric paraganglioma a rare mesenteric tumor

Paragangliomas arise from chromaffin tissue, most commonly found in the Zuckerkandl body, the sympathetic plexus of the urinary bladder, the kidneys, the heart or in the sympathetic ganglia of the head or neck. Some paragangliomas have been described in the Gastrointestinal System, the majority of which were associated with the duodenum. Only a very select few were described to arise from the mesentery.