Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours - A Case Series - Our Experience over Three Years in a Tertiary Care Centre in India

Background: This study defines a series of 10 cases of Gastro - Intestinal Stromal Tumours managed in a teaching hospital attached to a medical college over 3 years. Methods: Medical records of the 10 cases of Gastro - Intestinal Stromal Tumoursmanaged during January 2016 through December 2018 were reviewed for patient demographics, clinical presentation, investigations, sites, treatment, histology, immunohistochemistry and Imatinib therapy. Follow up for recurrence over the period ranging from 6 months to 4 years was done. Results: Gastro - Intestinal Stromal Tumours was common in men. Age ranged 28 to 75 years. Sites involved were - small bowel in 5, stomach in 2, mesentery in 2 and rectum in 1. Symptoms ranged from abdominal pain, mass per abdomen, upper/lower gastrointestinal bleeding and few cases presented as small bowel obstruction and intestinal perforation. Surgery was the mainstay of the treatment. All were positive for tyrosine kinase. One case was non resectable and another showed metastasis to the mesenteric lymph nodes, which is uncommon. All received Imatinib post operatively. Recurrence was seen in one patient with small bowel Gastro - Intestinal Stromal Tumours at 2 years. Conclusions: Gastro - Intestinal Stromal Tumours are uncommon with varied presentations and may be aggressive and can recur. Gastro - Intestinal Stromal Tumourselaborate tyrosine kinase, hence KIT receptor inhibitor Imatinib was useful in all including nonresectable andrecurrent tumours which drastically changed the diagnosis and management of these tumours.