Laparoscopic intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion in palliaton of malignant ascites. Case report

Malignant ascites is a pathological condition, due to several abdominal and extra-abdominal neoplasms, representing a difficult challenge in treatment. Different medical and surgical options have been proposed, but none of them have shown efficacy, leading only to partial and temporary relief of symptoms. Laparoscopic intraperitoneal chemotherapy may be a valid therapeutic option in patients in whom medical therapies have failed and peritoneovenous shunting is contraindicatd. A 49-years old woman with malignant ascites, secondary to peritoneal localization of right pleural mesothelioma, underwent, after failure of medical therapy, laparoscopic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (with Cisplatin 25 mg/m(2)/L and Doxorubicin 7 mg/m(2)/L). An important and lasting reduction of ascites and abdominal symptoms was documented till the exitus, due to pulmonary embolism after 11 months. Laparoscopic intraperitoneal chemotherapy may be a good therapeutic option to palliative malignant ascites in patient not eligible for a radical cytoreductive treatment, but further investigations are needed to standardized dosage and perfusion procedure.