RESECTION OF THE POSTERIOR GASTRIC WALL: ANOTHER STRATEGY AGAINST GIST WITH ENDOLUMINAL GROWTH

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) occur most frequently at the gastric level. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment and can usually be performed using laparoscopic approaches (1). The resection strategy must be adjusted to each case, the selection of location, size and growth pattern of the tumor (2).

We present the case of a 78-year-old female patient who, after going to the Emergency Department due to symptoms of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, showed a 5 cm heterogeneous tumor depending on the muscular layer itself in a posterior gastric wall, endoluminal growth, and without objectifying others injuries in the study of extension. A wide posterior resection of the gastric posterior wall and primary closure with a barbed suture was performed laparoscopically. The postoperative evolution was satisfactory. The histopathological study shows low-risk GIST (5 mitosis / 50 CGA) with free margins; during follow-up, no recurrence was observed. Simple laparoscopic resection of gastric GIST tumors seems to be a useful strategy in terms of oncological safety, reducing excessive resection of tumor-free tissue and increasing gastric remnant.