1. ¹Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
2. ²Department of Internal Medicine
3. ³Department of Radiology, Tohoku Rosai Hospital, Sendai, Japan
4. ⁴Department of Pathology, Iwate Medical School, Morioka, Japan

Correspondence: Dr N Kimura, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tohoku Rosai Hospital, 21-3-4 Dainohara, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8563, Japan. E-mail: nkimura-path@tohokuh.rofuku.go.jp

Received 4 March 2004; Revised 29 June 2004; Accepted 30 June 2004; Published online 13 August 2004.

Abstract

An autopsy case of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)- and interleukin-6 (IL-6)-producing diffuse deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma is reported. The patient was a 70-year-old man with abdominal distension and weight loss in the year prior to his death. Laboratory data suggested severe inflammation with marked leukocytosis, thrombocytosis and elevated serum levels of C-reactive protein, G-CSF and IL-6. Imaging studies showed an expansive mass occupying the entire abdomen and pelvic cavity. Histological diagnosis of tissue taken by needle biopsy was difficult due to the unusual sarcomatoid-appearance of the tumor. In addition, there was severe infiltration of numerous neutrophilic leukocytes. An autopsy revealed that the diffuse peritoneal tumor had a fresh fishmeat-like appearance with focal mucinous degeneration and entirely encased the abdominal organs. Histological examination showed a sheet-like proliferation of tumor cells with large ovoid or polygonal cytoplasm, large atypical nuclei and obvious nucleoli. The tumor cells showed abundant glycogen and hyaluronic acid, and were immunoreactive to cytokeratin, calretinin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), CA-125, and focally to vimentin. The tumor cells were immunoreactive to G-CSF and IL-6. Electron microscopy revealed long, slender microvilli on the tumor cell surface. This tumor was diagnosed as a G-CSF- and IL-6-producing, diffuse deciduoid mesothelioma. We report this case with special reference to the differential diagnosis of deciduoid peritoneal mesothelioma with paraneoplastic syndrome.