Malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) of the duodenum ? A rare occurrence: Case report

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Most of the cases are located in the stomach followed by the small intestine. They arise from the interstitial cells of cajal, which are located in the wall of the intestine. Malignant GISTs are rare type of tumors in GIT. Small intestine GIST is more likely to be malignant compared to stomach. Here we reported such a rare case of malignant GIST in a 54 years old female patient who came to the hospital with complaints of pain and mass in abdomen. Ultrasound revealed a mass originating from the duodenum. Provisional clinical diagnosis of duodenal carcinoma was considered preoperatively. Patient underwent complete surgical excision of the tumor. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of malignant GIST. As the recurrence rate for malignant GIST is high, patient was kept on follow up.