title: A clinically-occult gastrointestinal stromal tumor in a Meckel's diverticulum presenting as hollow organ perforation.
abstract: Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. However, a neoplasm is a rare complication of Meckel's diverticulum. We report a case of a ruptured gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in a Meckel's diverticulum, presenting as hollow organ perforation, in a 76 year-old woman. To our knowledge, the case we presented here is the 6th report describing a perforated GIST within a Meckel's diverticulum. In addition, the diverticular neoplasm in our case was clinically occult because of an unusual tumor configuration. Since the treatment of asymptomatic Meckel's diverticula remains controversial, our case raises suspicion that managing asymptomatic Meckel's diverticula by pure observation may leave some clinically occult diverticular neoplasms untreated. The role of prophylactic diverticulectomy requires further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yueh-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Chao-Chiang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Chun-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Min-Shu
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008467:Meckel Diverticulum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed