Unusually increased metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake in a gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach.

A 70-year-old woman with a submucosal gastric tumor was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment. Upon examination, it was found that she had hypertension, and abdominal computed tomography revealed swelling on both adrenal glands. The patient was examined with gamma camera imaging and iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), because her hypertension was thought to be due to a suspected adrenomedullary tumor. The planar image showed an unexpected abnormal uptake of MIBG in the upper abdomen. On single-photon emission computed tomographic images, the area of abnormal tracer uptake was thought to correspond to the known gastric tumor. The surgical procedure and histological assessments revealed that the gastric tumor was a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). MIBG can accumulate in GISTs as well as in neuroendocrine tumors of the medulla of the adrenal glands. Although the cause of radiolabeled MIBG uptake in GISTs is uncertain, further studies are necessary to establish the significance of MIBG scintigraphy in GIST imaging.

Editorial comment: feasibility of central gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Central gastrectomy (CG) for gastric cancer was developed to preserve pyloric function and maintain a large gastric volume. Whether this procedure is feasible for limited cases of gastric cancer is unclear. METHODS: On the basis of Union Internationale Contre le Cancer TNM classification, pathologic characteristics, perioperative parameters, and long-term results, we analyzed 100 patients who underwent CG. RESULTS: Pathologic findings included T1 (tumor depth, mucosal or submucosal) in 82 patients and T2 (muscularis propria or subserosal) in 18 patients. Mean number of dissected lymph nodes was 17.3, and pathologic N1 (node metastasis, 6 or less) was found in 14 patients. There were no operative deaths, but 5 patients had postoperative complications: anastomotic leakage in 1, severe gastric stasis in 2, ischemic gastric ulcer in 1, and intra-abdominal bleeding in 1. No patient had a cancer recurrence in a mean follow-up of 49 months. New early gastric cancer was detected in 3 patients during follow-up endoscopic examination. The 5-year cumulative survival was 0.97. One year after CG, 63 patients had early satiety after food intake. Mean ratio of 1-year postoperative/preoperative body weight was 95%. CONCLUSIONS: Central gastrectomy with sufficient node dissection resulted in good long-term survival and minimal postoperative weight loss. CG is a safe and useful procedure for selected patients with gastric cancer, although close follow-up for recurrence and a more precise analysis on physiologic states is needed.