Peritoneal Mesothelioma Diagnosis Methods

Computed Technology (CT Test) and Sonography

Peritoneal mesothelioma is one type of mesothelioma cancer which occur in the abdominal cavity. In fact there are some other types of mesothelioma which infect other internal body organs such as heart and chest cavity. Different types of mesothelioma may need different treatment. In order to decide the most appropriate treatment for each type, doctors will diagnose it first.
As all of those types have almost the same symptoms, a diagnosis is very important. Usually patients who feel the symptoms will undergo CT test (computed tomography). This detects abnormalities effectively. However it does not work very well for those who suffer from late stage of mesothelioma because in this stage, the cancer probably has been spread to some other body organs and CT test can’t differentiate which mesothelioma that comes first. In conjunction with the CT test, a sonogram is sometimes performed.

Needle Aspiration Biopsy

Peritoneal mesothelioma can be diagnosed conclusively with needle aspiration biopsy. A needle is inserted into the abdomen to take some of the ascities fluid. The sample then is examined under the microscope. The cells found in the fluid indicate the patient’s disease. However in some cases, sufficient fluid can be very difficult to obtain. If this happens, the patients should undergo another diagnosis.

Laparotomy procedure

This procedure is taken when sufficient sample of ascities fluid fails to be obtained with needle aspiration biopsy. This procedure is done by make an incision to directly collect the ascities and even a sample of abnormal tissue. Therefore, it is considered as the most accurate and effective diagnosis procedure. However it is also the most expensive because it is surgical diagnosis. It also needs a surgical preparation such as anesthesia, urine test, and blood pressure test. Not all hospitals can do this diagnosis because it requires some advanced medical equipment.