[Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: clinical and instrumental diagnosis. Analysis of a review of the literature].
OBJECTIVE
From a personal experience of 23 treated gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GISTs), this study analyzed both clinical and diagnostic problems of this quite new nosological category.


METHODS
A this literature review provides a rigid selection of papers (scientific basis, statistic inference, type/quality of the journal, etc.); only numerous series have been included (case reports were excluded) and only those published after 1990. Three-hundred-seventy-five cases have therefore been selected. Starting and late symptoms/signs and diagnostic tests employed were analyzed.


RESULTS
Results show 1) a relevant GIST quantity (approx. 30%) is casually discovered, during operations carried out for other pathologies or diagnostic tests for other indications; 2) poor correlation between site of the tumor and clinical manifestations; 3) a positive correlation between tumor diameter and presence of symptoms/signs seems to exists. The accuracy of different diagnostic tests is reported.


CONCLUSIONS
No specific symptoms/signs have been isolated; this kind of tumor is often accidentally found. An analysis of different diagnostic tests available today shows the very important role of endoscopic ultra-sound, together with CT and MRI.
D'Amato
A
A
Clinica Chirurgica VI, Policlinico Umberto I, Università degli Studi La Sapienza di Roma.
Cristaldi
M
M
Pronio
A M
AM
Montesani
C
C
Ribotta
G
G
D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans