PMC2896619_01
Thoracic wall, the pleural surface is covered by firm whitish nodules. Bar   1.5 cm.
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fig1
The surface of the thoracic cavity including the diaphragm and cranial mediastinum was covered multifocally to coalescing by firm whitish smooth nodules of up to 6 x 5 x 3 mm in size (Figure 1).
Lung, cranial mediastinum, and pericardium. Serosal surfaces are covered by whitish nodules. The same nodules are discernible within the right cranial lung lobe (arrow). Additionally the cranio-ventral parts of the lung show atelectasis, while dorsal parts of the lung show alveolar emphysema. Bar   1 cm.
VMI2010-396794.002.jpg
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fig2
The dorsal aspects of the caudal lobes comprised a moderate, multifocal, acute, alveolar emphysema (Figure 2).
Thoracic wall (H.E.). A nodule composed of spindle-shaped cells arranged in streams and sheets displaying invasion into the underlying muscle in the lower right corner is shown. Bar  400 mum.
VMI2010-396794.003.jpg
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fig3
Histopathological examination of haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of the thoracic wall revealed several invasively growing, unencapsulated masses of neoplastic cells (Figure 3).
Higher magnification of the fibrosarcoma-like neoplasm. Bar  80 mum.
VMI2010-396794.004.jpg
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fig4
Polygonal cells contained round nuclei (Figure 4).
Immunohistochemistry for mesenchymal ((a) vimentin) and epithelial ((b) pancytokeratin) markers is positive indicating a mesothelioma. Bar   40 mum.
VMI2010-396794.005.jpg
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fig5
Neoplastic cells expressed both the epithelial marker cytokeratin and mesenchymal marker vimentin (Figure 5), except some, multinucleated cells that had only weak cytokeratin expression.