Pathologic diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma: chronological prospect and advent of recommendations

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is rare and difficult to diagnose. Its identification depends

upon pathological investigation (cyto-histological assessment and immunohistochemistry)

supported by clinical and radiological evidence. In the last decade, the

standardization of diagnostic methods has become a major focus of debate among pathologists

and clinicians. This has led to the writing of guidelines and recommendation

for the diagnosis to achieve the goal of a standard diagnosis. In this article, a chronological

view relating to the pathological diagnosis of MM is presented together with a review

of guidelines and recommendations.