TUMORS OF THE PLEURAL SPACE



Mesotheliomas may be localized, benign growths curable by surgical resection or aggres­sive, untreatable malignancies spreading exten­sively in the pleural space and beyond. Malignant mesotheliomas are almost always associated with asbestos exposure. More commonly, neoplasms of the pleural space are due to adjacent spread (bron­chogenic carcinoma] or metastatic disease (car­cinoma of the breast, ovary, and kidney and lym­phoma). These produce bloody pleural effusions, although chylous effusions resulting from lym­phatic obstruction are also seen.