[Gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Review of 15 patients].
BACKGROUND
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymatous tumors of the digestive tract. The pathological diagnosis is based on microscopy and immunohistochemistiy.


OBJECTIVE
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%, hematemesis in 20%, abdominal pain in 60% and anemia in 13%. In only one patient, the tumor appeared as an incidentaloma. All patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy A CAT scan was done in 87%, a barium swallow in 60% and a digestive endosonography in 20%. 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%, a partial gastrectomy in 27%, a total gastrectomy in 20% 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 complications.
Braghetto
Italo
I
Departamento de Cirugía, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. ibraghet@redclinicauchile.cl
Parada
Francisco J
FJ
Cardemil
Gonzalo
G
Csendes
Attila
A
Fernández
Eduardo
E
Korn
Owen
O
Ramírez
Marcos
M
Carreño
Laura
L
Smok
Gladys
G
Molina
Juan Carlos
JC
Lembach
Hanns
H
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit