Giant jejunal gasto-intestinal stromal tumor: A rare cause of abdominal mass in an elderly female

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: We report the case of a patient presenting an abdominal mass whose final diagnosis is a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). OBSERVATION: It was a 61-year-old patient with no pathological history received for a progressive increase in the volume of the abdomen evolving for one year and painless. On examination, the patient was in good general condition, with normal patterns. There was an abdomino-pelvic mass of about 20 cm long axis, mobile. The rest of the exam was unremarkable. The biological assessment was normal. Abdominopelvic computed tomography revealed a tissue mass with necrosis. During the surgical exploration, a mass developed on the mesenteric border 45 cm from the Treitz angle was noted. It is not associated with ascites or peritoneal carcinoma. Bowel resection removing the mass was performed followed by end-to-end anastomosis. Pathological examination of the surgical specimen diagnosed GIST. The postoperative course at three months was excellent both clinically and radiologically. CONCLUSION: The case that we report underlines the possible jejunal localization of GIST and the clinical presentation may be usual. It also shows the difficulty of obtaining a preoperative diagnosis and the central role of surgery in management.