Abstract
Background. Primary pericardial mesothelioma is a rare disease occurring in 0.7-2.0% among all mesothelioma and has a very poor prognosis. We report a case of primary pericardial mesothelioma who could survive for more than 26 months after local hyperthermochemotherapy and systemic chemotherapy with vinorelbine (VNR). Case. A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with orthopnea. Her chest X-ray and CT showed a large mass at the base of the heart with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes and massive pericardial and bilateral pleural effusion. Mediastinal lymph node biopsy by mediastinoscopy confirmed the diagnosis of biphasic malignant mesothelioma. She underwent pericardial instillation of mitomycin as a sclerosing agent after pericardial drainage, and subsequently hyperthermochemotherapy with cisplatin and pleurodesis with talc. After those treatment, we administered VNR (20 mg/m2, 3wq). She has been alive for more than 26 months since her first visit without any remarkable complaints. Conclusion. We consider this as a valuable case of primary pericardial mesothelioma in which combination of local hyperthermochemotherapy and systemic chemotherapy with VNR was effective.
