Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) of the Stomach: An Infrequent Disease with Difficult Preoperative Diagnosis

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most frequent mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. The stomach is the most common site of these tumors. We report a case of a 62-year-old woman with upper abdominal pain and anaemia. Preoperative gastroscopy, abdominal computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasonography showed a submucosal tumor in the gastric antrum. We performed a stapled antrectomy associated with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy reconstruction. Postoperative histologic examination revealed the spindle-shape cells characteristic of GISTs. The postoperative course was uneventfull and after 12 month the patient has no recurrence. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult to establish because usually these tumors are asymptomatic and therefore, they are not suspected. Only inmunoreactivity is able to differentiate GIST from other mesenchymal tumors. Surgical resection is a safe and effective treatment. Chemotherapy with imatinib is also recommended.