Differential Diagnosis Flashcards
6 cards from real Mesothelioma Diagnosis practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Differential Diagnosis flashcards as text
Tuberculous pleuritis causing pleural thickening can mimic mesothelioma; how is it best differentiated?
Answer: Microbiological culture, AFB staining, and ADA levels in pleural fluid
TB pleuritis is confirmed by AFB staining, mycobacterial culture, and markedly elevated adenosine deaminase (ADA) in pleural fluid, which are absent in mesothelioma.
Which finding would most strongly suggest mesothelioma over benign asbestos-related pleural disease on CT?
Answer: Pleural nodularity with thickening >1 cm
Irregular pleural nodularity and thickening greater than 1 cm are hallmarks of malignancy, while bilateral calcified plaques alone indicate asbestos exposure without malignancy.
Primary pleural thymoma is distinguished from mesothelioma by positive expression of which marker?
Answer: CD5 and PAX8 in epithelial thymoma cells
Ectopic thymoma in the pleural cavity expresses CD5 and PAX8 in its epithelial component, markers absent in mesothelioma.
Localized malignant mesothelioma is distinguished from diffuse malignant mesothelioma primarily by:
Answer: Its discrete, localized mass without diffuse pleural spread
Localized malignant mesothelioma presents as a distinct mass without the diffuse pleural coating typical of diffuse mesothelioma, and is potentially curable with surgery.
Which mesothelial lesion is classified as a precursor to mesothelioma and shows malignant cells confined to the mesothelial surface?
Answer: Mesothelioma in situ
Mesothelioma in situ (MIS) is a newly recognized WHO entity where malignant mesothelial cells are confined to the surface without stromal invasion, detected by BAP1 loss or CDKN2A deletion.
Pleural involvement by thymoma (type B3) may mimic biphasic mesothelioma; which FISH finding confirms thymoma?
Answer: Absence of CDKN2A deletion and presence of chromosome 6 abnormalities
Thymoma does not harbor CDKN2A homozygous deletion (which confirms mesothelioma malignancy) and may show chromosome 6 alterations characteristic of thymic tumors.