title: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: radiologic features with pathologic correlation.
abstract: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are unique neoplasms that occur throughout the gastrointestinal tract, mesentery, omentum, and retroperitoneum. They are the most common mesenchymal neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract and are defined by their expression of KIT (CD117), a tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor. The expression of KIT is important to distinguish GISTs from other mesenchymal neoplasms such as leiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas, schwannomas, and neurofibromas and to determine the appropriateness of KIT-inhibitor therapy. The series described herein was accumulated over 2 years and includes 64 pathologically proved GISTs (28 gastric, 27 small intestinal, six anorectal, one colonic, one esophageal, and one from the small bowel mesentery). Radiologic features of GISTs vary depending on tumor size and organ of origin. Since most GISTs arise within the muscularis propria of the stomach or intestinal wall, they most commonly have an exophytic growth pattern and manifest as dominant masses outside the organ of origin. Dominant intramural and intraluminal masses are less common radiologic manifestations. GISTs occurring in the gastrointestinal tract and mesentery characteristically have hemorrhage, necrosis, or cyst formation that appears as focal areas of low attenuation on computed tomographic images. Although the radiologic features of GISTs are often distinct from those of epithelial tumors, criteria to separate GISTs radiologically from other nonepithelial tumors have not yet been fully developed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiologic Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 6825 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20306-6000, USA. levya@afip.osd.mil
authors.forename: Angela D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Helen E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Remotti
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Leslie H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sobin
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miettinen
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit