Pericardial mesothelioma and asbestos exposure

Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2010 Dec 12. [Epub ahead of print]
Mensi C, Giacomini S, Sieno C, Consonni D, Riboldi L.
Clinica del Lavoro "Luigi Devoto", Department of Preventive Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via San Barnaba, 8, 20122 Milan, Italy; Inhaled Dust Biological Effects Centre (EBPI), Department of Occupational Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.

Pericardial mesothelioma (PM) accounts for 0.7% of all malignant mesotheliomas. Although asbestos exposure is a recognized etiological factor for pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas, its role in the development of PM is controversial. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of PM cases occurred in Lombardy, a highly industrialized Region of Northern Italy. From the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry we selected the incident cases of PM registered in the Lombardy Region between 2000 and 2009 and we abstracted clinical characteristics and history of asbestos exposure. We identified 8 cases (6 men and 2 women), with a median age at diagnosis of 55.5 years, representing 0.3% of all mesothelioma cases (n=3059). The age-standardized incidence rate was 0.09 per million/year. Occupational exposure to asbestos was documented in 5 of the 7 cases for which we obtained an interview. Our findings support the role of asbestos in the pathogenesis of PM.

Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Sources

PMID: 21156353 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21156353?dopt=AbstractPlus