Peritoneal mesothelioma--how a good occupational case history can best be used.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare disease. It is difficult to diagnose during life because the clinical picture is relatively non-specific and the disease is therefore often mistaken for abdominal carcinomatosis. Diffuse mesothelioma of the serosal surfaces should be considered as an index tumour of occupational exposure to asbestos dust. However, internists, surgeons or gynecologists who first see patients with abdominal distention, ascites and sometimes with abdominal pain, seldom think they may be caused by an occupational disease. To review what we know about how such symptoms are related to occupational disease the author examined 9 cases of peritoneal mesothelioma, observed in the Dresden area (Germany) in the course of the last ten years, and declared to be cases of occupational disease.