A 76-year-old man has been experiencing worsening shortness of breath, coughing, and weight loss for several months. He has never smoked in his life. Imaging of the chest reveals irregular pleural thickening. A surgical biopsy is planned, but the patient declines, preferring hospice care instead. He dies a few weeks later. An autopsy is performed, and a photograph of the cut lung section is displayed. Histopathological examination of the abnormal tissue is most likely to reveal which of the following findings?

Question

A 76-year-old man has been experiencing worsening shortness of breath, coughing, and weight loss for several months. He has never smoked in his life. Imaging of the chest reveals irregular pleural thickening. A surgical biopsy is planned, but the patient declines, preferring hospice care instead. He dies a few weeks later. An autopsy is performed, and a photograph of the cut lung section is displayed.  Histopathological examination of the abnormal tissue is most likely to reveal which of the following findings?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Mesothelioma is a neoplasm that develops from mesothelial cells and is strongly linked to asbestos exposure. Multiple nodules form on the parietal pleura in early mesothelioma and gradually encase the lung parenchyma. Immunohistochemistry is useful in the diagnosis of mesotheliomas because nearly all of them stain positive for cytokeratins and many also stain positive for calretinin.

A 76-Year-Old Man Has Been Experiencing Worsening Shortness of Breath