Gastrointestinal stromal tumors [GISTS]: clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical treatment and its outcome

This study included 13 selected patients treated by surgical excision for lesions that proved postoperatively to be gastrointestinal stromal tumors [GISTs] by histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies. The demographic, clinical and operative reports data were collected. Eight cases were gastric GISTs, four cases were small bowel GISTs [jejunum 1 and ileum, 3] and GIST of the sigmoid colon was in one patient. Eight cases presented at the emergency department due to hematemesis [3], gastrointestinal obstruction [3], bowel perforation [1] and severe bleeding per rectum [1]. Three cases presented with a feeling of abdominal fullness and ill-defined palpable abdominal mass. Two cases were discovered incidentally during GIT endoscopy for dyspepsia. Diagnosis of GISTs was presumed on clinical basis and operative findings from gross morphological features. Complete resection [RO] was achieved for 12 tumors [92.3%]. The immunohistochemistry profile was positive for C-kit for all cases. One operative death was due to massive pulmonary embolism. Postoperative complications occurred in three [23%] as upper GIT bleeding [1], biliary gastritis [1] and wound infection [1], and one [7.69%] of ileum tumor recurrence