Pleural metastases can simulate a mesothelioma

: We are reporting about an inoperable cell carcinoma of the stomach, which exclusively caused thoracal pains due to metastases into a pleural thickening. First this symptomatology with thoracal pains and recurring pleural effusions was thought to be a pleural mesothelioma. Only the immediate histological examination of the tissue showed the origin of the tumor. Although cancer of stomach appears very commonly, this tumor is often diagnosed too late and in most cases it is already inoperable. Even nowadays more than 75% of the patients with a cancer of the stomach die of their metastases, although diagnosis and therapy have been developed. - Pleural mesotheliomas are rare; nevertheless the possibility of a mesothelioma in connection with all pleural effusions of a vague genesis should be considered. The exposure to asbestos strengthens the suspicion that this tumor is existing. In connection with a pleural mesothelioma an indurative pleurisy, a primary cancer of the lung and - like in our case - pleural metastases of a primary cancer of another site have to be differentiated.