# Primary Malignant Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

**Authors:** Amgad Elmadani, Ahmed Farag, Zubair Al-Qassim, Roland England

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.94081 · Cureus · 2025-10-07

## TL;DR

This paper reports a rare case of malignant mesothelioma in the tunica vaginalis, highlighting diagnostic challenges and the need for timely surgical intervention.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in presenting a rare case without asbestos exposure and emphasizing the importance of radical orchidectomy for diagnosis.

## Key findings

- The patient's tumor was confirmed as malignant mesothelioma through histopathology and immunohistochemistry.
- No metastases were found during postoperative staging, and the patient remained disease-free after six months.
- The case underscores the importance of histological examination for uncommon scrotal masses.

## Abstract

Primary malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis is an extremely rare neoplasm, and its diagnosis is often unclear initially due to its nonspecific presentation. We present the case of an 87-year-old gentleman who presented with a left-sided hydrocele that increased in size over seven months, with no associated history of asbestos exposure. On initial ultrasound, he had a benign appearing hydrocele and proceeded to hydrocelectomy, where suspicious lesions were noticed and sent for histopathology. A subsequent radical inguinal orchiectomy was performed. Histopathologic examination revealed malignant mesothelioma, which was positive for calretinin, Wilm's Tumour 1 (WT-1), AE1/AE3, and D2-40 immunohistochemically, from both operations. On postoperative staging, no metastases were seen, and the patient has been disease-free on follow-up after six months. This case illustrates the challenges in reaching the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis and emphasizes the importance of timely surgical intervention in the form of radical orchidectomy and histological examination of any uncommon scrotal mass. Ongoing case reporting is needed to guide management, as there are no standard guidelines due to the limited number of reported cases.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** CALB2 (calbindin 2), PDPN (podoplanin)
- **Diseases:** malignant mesothelioma (MONDO:0006292)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** CALB2 (calbindin 2) [NCBI Gene 794] {aka CAB29, CAL2, CR}
- **Diseases:** Primary Malignant Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis (MESH:D000086002), hydrocele (MESH:D006848), neoplasm (MESH:D009369), metastases (MESH:D009362)
- **Chemicals:** asbestos (MESH:D001194)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

10 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12592738/full.md

## References

18 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12592738/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12592738