The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature defines pericardial mesothelioma as a type of cancer that originates in the mesothelium, a thin wall of cells that surround the body's organs and internal body structures. Pericardial mesothelioma originates in the lining of the heart. Other locales of the disease are malignant pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the lungs and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the abdomen wall.
There are three variations of Mesothelioma and each has its own symptoms, treatments and area of focus.
The mesothelium is a protective lining which covers the internal organs. In Mesothelioma, malignant cells are formed on this lining. In most cases, the pleura (the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity) are affected. However, Mesothelioma on the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart) also occurs. Thus, malignant Mesothelioma cancer is in three main categories based on the organ the mesothelium attacks: Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Pleural Mesothelioma and Pericardial Mesothelioma.