ABSTRACT
Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymatous tumors of the digestive tract. The pathological diagnosis is based on microscopy and immunohistochemistiy. Aim: To review the experience of our surgical unit in patients with GIST Material and methods: Review of medical records of 15 patients (aged 66+13 years, 11 women), with a pathological diagnosis of GIST, treated between 1999 and 2005. Results: The main presenting symptoms were melena in 40 percent, hematemesis in 20 percent, abdominal pain in 60 percent and anemia in 13 percent. In only one patient, the tumor appeared as an incidentaloma. All patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy A CAT scan was done in 87 percent, a barium swallow in 60 percent and a digestive endosonography in 20 percent. Thirteen tumors were located in the stomach and two in the small bowel. Mean tumor diameter was 5.3+1.7 cm. Surgical management was a tumor resection in 40 percent, a partial gastrectomy in 27 percent, a total gastrectomy in 20 percent and an intestinal excision in the rest. Mean hospital stay was 6.9+4.2 days. No postoperative complications were recorded. Conclusions: The main clinical presentation of GIST in this retrospective series was an upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Surgical treatment was devoid of complication.